Crypto-Friendly Former Congressman Patrick McHenry Joins A16z as a Senior Advisor

McHenry announced his caller relation successful a Wednesday X post, penning that helium was “eager to assistance innovators navigate the argumentation scenery truthful they tin build.”

Feb 26, 2025, 3:44 p.m. UTC

Former U.S. House Financial Services Committee Chair Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.), who retired successful January, has joined Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) arsenic a elder advisor.

McHenry announced his caller relation astatine the Silicon Valley-based task superior steadfast successful a Wednesday X post. McHenry was the acting Speaker of the House for a fewer weeks successful 2023 aft erstwhile Speaker Kevin McCarthy was ousted.

“For excessively long, D.C. has created barriers for startups and emerging companies. It’s clip to level the playing tract and guarantee that Little Tech – the adjacent procreation of builders – gets a just shot. As a argumentation maker, I promoted solutions that removed bureaucratic barriers for American entrepreneurs. At [a16z] I americium anxious to proceed that enactment and guarantee policymakers recognize wherefore innovation needs country to thrive,” McHenry wrote.

McHenry spent the past fewer years of his 20-year vocation successful Congress advocating for the crypto manufacture and gathering a instauration for a long-awaited crypto regulatory framework. He co-sponsored the Financial Innovation and Technology for the 21st Century Act (FIT21) — a marketplace operation measure that, if passed, would springiness the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) much powerfulness to oversee the crypto industry. He besides worked with Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) connected bipartisan stablecoin legislation.

Read more: Patrick McHenry, the Lawmaker Who Built a Foundation for U.S. Crypto Legislation

Earlier this month, McHenry joined payments elephantine Stripe arsenic a elder advisor.

A16z was 1 of the largest funders of crypto-friendly ace PAC Fairshake successful the past predetermination cycle, contributing astir $70 million. It's already dedicated $116 cardinal for the adjacent predetermination cycle.

Cheyenne Ligon

On the quality squad astatine CoinDesk, Cheyenne focuses connected crypto regularisation and crime. Cheyenne is primitively from Houston, Texas. She studied governmental subject astatine Tulane University successful Louisiana. In December 2021, she graduated from CUNY's Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism, wherever she focused connected concern and economics reporting. She has nary important crypto holdings.