Web3 Founders’ Guide from a16z: Stablecoins, AI & DePIN

Arianna Simpson, a16z’s crypto partner, distils over a decade of market cycles into a ten-year playbook for Web3 founders. She urges Web3 founders to shift from predicting market waves to identifying builders who persist through downturns. Simpson highlights three core focus areas: stablecoins as payment and settlement rails, the convergence of crypto incentives with AI compute and data via DePIN, and disciplined financing and governance practices. Founders should integrate stablecoins into business processes—cross-border payouts, on-chain reconciliation and risk controls—rather than issuing new tokens. The Crypto×AI×DePIN supercycle demands engineered incentive systems that tokenise real-world resources and ensure data authenticity through verifiable timestamps and device signatures. On financing, she advises modest, milestone-driven rounds, backed by clear metrics and compliance foundations. Governance must rest on well-defined roles, vesting schedules and dispute protocols. Finally, Simpson stresses competitive storytelling through product metrics and robust PR infrastructure, alongside readiness for scale-out and M&A. For Web3 founders, success hinges on doing the tough, right work consistently and building a resilient foundation.