Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) partner Katie Haun, a prominent name in crypto investing, is leaving after four years to start her own firm.
Axios broke the news, and the fact that she will be joined by a small number of a16z staffers, including crypto marketing head and Coinbase alum Rachael Horwitz but no one from the investing team.
Haun, a Coinbase director and former U.S. prosecutor, has helped a16z become crypto’s most well-known backer. Earlier this year, a16z raised $2.2 billion for its third crypto fund and has already deployed a bevy of investments.
Read more: Most Influential: Katie Haun
“Today [Chris Dixon] and I shared with the a16z crypto team that I will be launching my own fund focused on crypto and Web 3 early next year. The current crypto fund will be my last at the firm,” Haun said on Twitter.
“When Chris and I started our first crypto fund in 2018, it was a moonshot experiment. Thanks to the hard work of many, it has exceeded both of our wildest expectations. Today it’s more apparent than ever that [Web 3] will transform the internet,” she added.
6/ This is an exciting new chapter. I'll share more details about the fund with the community later in the new year. In the meantime, wishing you all a very happy and healthy holiday season!
— Kathryn Haun (@katie_haun) December 15, 2021
A16z said in an emailed statement that Haun “led some of the most consequential crypto team deals including Coinbase, OpenSea (Series A and B), Celo, Arweave, and Royal.”
She will retain her board seats at Coinbase and OpenSea.
