# Alliance Partner Says Crypto Talent Can Support Frontier Tech

By Simon Yoon

Canonical URL: https://www.tokenpost.com/news/technology/39308
Published: 2026-10-23T20:52:10.000Z
Updated: 2026-10-23T20:52:10.000Z
Section: Technology

> Imran said Bitcoin (BTC) mining infrastructure and people moving from crypto into AI have helped build AI infrastructure.

Alliance general partner Imran said crypto’s accumulated talent and capabilities could be applied across frontier technology as a16z crypto turns its investment focus toward the field.

He said Bitcoin (BTC) mining infrastructure and people who moved from crypto into AI have helped build AI infrastructure. Imran said crypto talent and capabilities developed over the past decade could also be used in robotics, biology, energy and computing power.

Imran pointed to a16z’s 2013 investment in Coinbase, led by Chris Dixon, as an example of early institutional support for crypto. He said few institutions and funds publicly backed the industry at the time. Marc Andreessen’s 2014 essay “Why Bitcoin Matters” was a key influence on Imran’s decision to enter the Bitcoin industry, he said. Imran also named USV as an early backer willing to take reputational risks.

He likened growing public and government opposition to data centers to earlier resistance to crypto. Imran said crypto has since gained some level of acceptance at nearly every traditional financial institution.