Ariana Simpson talks about the future of web3 gaming and the metaverse
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Ariana Simpson is a general partner at Andreessen Horowitz, a leading venture capital firm investing in technology, gaming and crypto.
From her perch, Simpson has a broad view of the investment landscape, and this has led her to invest in various cryptocurrency and gaming companies, including Irreverent Labs. She believes in the power of decentralization made possible by blockchain technology, and she also believes it will take us to the metaverse.
A16z, as the company calls it, has both a $600 million dedicated gaming fund and a $4.5 billion cryptocurrency fund. Simpson is rolling out that money, but we're also in the midst of a crypto downturn and resistance from hardcore NFT gamers. This makes this business much more risky than it was just a few months ago. But Simpson is seasoned in this space. She "fell down the crypto rabbit hole" a decade ago while tracking talent in space. She's been through several crypto winters, and in an interview with GamesBeat, she said A16z is ready to take a long-term view of the market.
I spoke with her to get an upload on the intersection of crypto and gambling, her perspective on gamers who are receptive to non-fungible tokens (NFTs), why gamers should get a slice of the produces games, and why A16z founders, Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz, saw an opportunity in this space and doubled down with industry-specific funds to invest in the market. This belief has not changed despite multiple roller coaster cycles on the market.
EventMetaBeat 2022
MetaBeat will bring together thought leaders from across the Metaverse to advise on how Metaverse technology will transform the way all industries communicate and do business on October 3-4 in San Francisco, CA.
> register hereHere is an edited transcript of our interview.
GamesBeat: When did you first become interested in this space? How did you discover crypto and gaming login?
Ariana Simpson: I fell down the crypto rabbit hole nearly a decade ago. I first became interested in 2013, following a trip to southern Africa. I spent time in six countries, including Zimbabwe. I saw the consequences of the rampant hyperinflation they had suffered. Obviously this had devastated the economy and forced them to switch to the US dollar to stabilize the economy. This forced them to take drastic measures.
When I came back to...
Want to learn more about the future of the video game industry? Join gaming executives to discuss emerging parts of the industry in October at GamesBeat Summit Next. Learn more.
Ariana Simpson is a general partner at Andreessen Horowitz, a leading venture capital firm investing in technology, gaming and crypto.
From her perch, Simpson has a broad view of the investment landscape, and this has led her to invest in various cryptocurrency and gaming companies, including Irreverent Labs. She believes in the power of decentralization made possible by blockchain technology, and she also believes it will take us to the metaverse.
A16z, as the company calls it, has both a $600 million dedicated gaming fund and a $4.5 billion cryptocurrency fund. Simpson is rolling out that money, but we're also in the midst of a crypto downturn and resistance from hardcore NFT gamers. This makes this business much more risky than it was just a few months ago. But Simpson is seasoned in this space. She "fell down the crypto rabbit hole" a decade ago while tracking talent in space. She's been through several crypto winters, and in an interview with GamesBeat, she said A16z is ready to take a long-term view of the market.
I spoke with her to get an upload on the intersection of crypto and gambling, her perspective on gamers who are receptive to non-fungible tokens (NFTs), why gamers should get a slice of the produces games, and why A16z founders, Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz, saw an opportunity in this space and doubled down with industry-specific funds to invest in the market. This belief has not changed despite multiple roller coaster cycles on the market.
EventMetaBeat 2022
MetaBeat will bring together thought leaders from across the Metaverse to advise on how Metaverse technology will transform the way all industries communicate and do business on October 3-4 in San Francisco, CA.
> register hereHere is an edited transcript of our interview.
GamesBeat: When did you first become interested in this space? How did you discover crypto and gaming login?
Ariana Simpson: I fell down the crypto rabbit hole nearly a decade ago. I first became interested in 2013, following a trip to southern Africa. I spent time in six countries, including Zimbabwe. I saw the consequences of the rampant hyperinflation they had suffered. Obviously this had devastated the economy and forced them to switch to the US dollar to stabilize the economy. This forced them to take drastic measures.
When I came back to...
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