Balaji Srinivasan is an angel investor, entrepreneur, and author known for his work at the intersection of technology, cryptocurrency, and political theory.
Career
Srinivasan co-founded Counsyl, a genomics company that grew to DNA-test approximately 3% of U.S. births. He joined Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) as a General Partner in 2013. In 2017 he co-founded Earn.com (originally 21.co), a platform for earning cryptocurrency by responding to emails and completing tasks. Coinbase acquired Earn.com in 2018, and Srinivasan served as Coinbase’s first CTO until 2019.
The Network State
In 2022, Srinivasan published The Network State: How To Start a New Country, which argues that online communities can organize into network states — digital-first polities that eventually acquire physical territory. The book became influential in crypto and tech circles for its vision of decentralized governance.
$1M Bitcoin Bet
In March 2023, Srinivasan made a widely publicized $1 million bet that Bitcoin would reach $1 million within 90 days, framing it as a warning about U.S. dollar hyperinflation. He settled the bet early, paying out $1.5 million (the $1M wager plus a $500K donation) to the counterparty and to charity. The episode drew significant media attention.
Influence
Srinivasan is one of the most followed voices in crypto and tech on social media, known for his prolific commentary on network states, decentralized technology, and macroeconomics. He has angel-invested in numerous crypto and tech startups.