A potent exploration of the power of blockchains to reshape the future of the Internet-and how that affects us all-from highly influential entrepreneur and technology investor Chris Dixon
The Internet of today is a far cry from its early promise of a decentralized, democratic network of creativity and innovation. In the past decade, the Internet has fallen under the control of a tiny group of massive companies like Apple, Google, and Facebook. In Read Write Own, tech visionary Chris Dixon argues that the dream of an open network for fostering creativity and entrepreneurship doesn't have to die, and that in fact it can, and must, be saved with blockchain networks, which he vitally separates from the currency-based speculation that it is unfortunately lumped together with-a distinction he calls "The Computer vs The Casino."
With lucid and compelling prose-and drawing from his firsthand observations, mental models, and experiences over a twenty-five-year career in the Internet industry-Dixon shows how the Internet has undergone three distinct eras, bringing us to the critical moment we're in today. The first act was the "read era," lasting from 1990 to 2005, in which early Internet networks democratized information. In the "read-write era," 2006 to 2020, corporate networks democratized publishing. And we are now entering web3, the "read-write-own era," in which blockchain networks have begun to democratize ownership, granting power and economic benefits to the participants in the network-not just to massive corporations.
Whether or not you care about blockchains, Bitcoin, or NFTs, Read Write Own is a must read for anyone-internet users, business leaders, artists, creators, entrepreneurs, the tech-curious-to understand where we've been and where we're going. It provides a playbook for the digital horizon, an argument for a better Internet, and a clarion call for anyone looking to navigate and build the future. Chris Dixon is a general partner at Andreessen Horowitz, joining the storied venture capital firm in 2013, where he invested in Oculus (later acquired by Facebook), Coinbase, and other companies. He also placed early bets on Kickstarter, Pinterest, Stack Overflow, Stripe-all of which have products in wide use today. Dixon founded and leads a16z crypto, which he has grown from $300 million in 2018 to over $7 billion of committed capital dedicated to investing in crypto and web3 technologies. He was ranked #1 on the Forbes Midas List of the world's best venture capital investors in 2022.
