An Agenda for the Future of the Internet

Tomicah Tillemann and James Rathmell

Today, we’re excited to announce the release of How to Win the Future, a policy agenda for the third generation of the internet. It will be a living document housed in our new web3 policy hub alongside a growing array of resources for leaders in government, academia, civil society, and the private sector who are working to build a shared vision for the future of the web.

If the past decade has taught us anything, it’s that we need an affirmative strategy to shape the role of technology in open societies. In this context, web3 isn’t just a new wave of innovation — it’s an opportunity for a reset. Policymakers and regulators can take advantage of the tools provided by web3 to build an internet that will be better at unlocking opportunity, securing data, and solving critical challenges for society. 

We’re already working to ensure that this new agenda will be operational, not just aspirational. Over the past few weeks, a16z submitted a letter to Senate leadership addressing challenges with tax provisions in the infrastructure bill currently working its way through Congress; we published a policy framework outlining the role of stablecoins in advancing financial inclusion; and we shared four legislative proposals with every member of the Senate Banking Committee to encourage policymakers to consider thoughtful, concrete options for regulating decentralized technology. This week, we’ll be meeting with senior officials from the White House, regulatory agencies, and Congress to share our thinking. Due to the breadth and impact of web3, defining every aspect of an enlightened policy and regulatory strategy is a task too large and too important for any single organization to tackle on its own. But it’s time to begin. It’s time to build a better internet.