Anthony Albanese is the Managing Partner and Chief Operating Officer (COO) of a16z crypto, the digital asset investment fund of the venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz. He is known for his extensive background in financial regulation, having previously served as the Acting Superintendent of the New York State Department of Financial Services (DFS) and as the Chief Regulatory Officer of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE).^{[1] [2]}

Education

Albanese earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Union College. He subsequently attended St. John’s University School of Law, where he obtained a Juris Doctor (JD) degree and served as an editor on the St. John's Law Review. Following his graduation from law school, he began his legal career with a judicial clerkship.^{[1] [2] [13]}

Career

Albanese began his career as a law clerk for Judge Joseph W. Bellacosa on the New York State Court of Appeals, where he served from 1996 to 1998. Following his clerkship, he joined the law firm Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP in 1998. He spent over a decade at the firm, starting as an associate and later becoming a partner, specializing in securities litigation and corporate governance, , which served as a basis for later work with cryptocurrencies.

In 2011, Albanese transitioned to public service, joining the New York State Department of Financial Services (DFS). During his tenure, he held the roles of Chief of Staff and later Acting Superintendent. In this capacity, he led an agency of 1,400 employees responsible for regulating over 3,800 financial institutions with combined assets exceeding $7 trillion. A significant achievement during his time at DFS was his role in developing and issuing New York's first BitLicense, a regulatory framework for virtual currency businesses that became a model for other jurisdictions.

After leaving DFS in 2015, Albanese joined the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in 2016 as its Chief Regulatory Officer. In this role, he was responsible for overseeing all regulatory functions of the exchange and coordinating with state, federal, and international regulators. He held this position until 2020.^{[2] [1] [13]}

a16z crypto

In November 2020, Albanese was appointed Chief Operating Officer of a16z crypto, the cryptocurrency and web3-focused arm of Andreessen Horowitz. He also holds the title of Managing Partner. As COO, he is responsible for managing the fund's operating teams, which include legal, regulatory, policy, compliance, security, marketing, and talent. He also provides strategic guidance to the fund's portfolio companies on matters such as hiring, strategy, and building scalable business operations.^{[1] [3]}

Team Building and Operations

A key part of Albanese's role has been the strategic expansion of the a16z crypto team with experts from regulatory and technology fields. In October 2021, he announced the hiring of Riyaz Faizullabhoy as Chief Technology Officer and Nassim Eddequiouaq as Chief Information Security Officer, both of whom previously worked on Facebook's Novi digital wallet project. In a statement, Albanese noted the importance of their expertise for both the firm's operations and its portfolio companies.^{[4] [5]}

He continued to build out the firm's policy and regulatory functions, announcing the appointment of Michele Korver, a former federal prosecutor and advisor at the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), as Head of Regulatory in March 2022. In October 2022, he announced that Collin McCune, a former staffer for Congressman Patrick McHenry, would join as Head of Government Affairs.^{[7] [6]}

Policy Advocacy

Albanese has been actively involved in a16z crypto's efforts to engage with policymakers and advocate for clear regulatory frameworks for digital assets. In October 2021, he was part of a delegation of executives from the firm that traveled to Washington, D.C., to meet with officials from the White House, regulatory agencies, and Congress to present the firm's vision for web3 regulation. He has publicly stated his belief that "thoughtful web3 legislation & regulatory clarity will unleash innovation."^{[7] [8]}

UK Operations

In July 2024, Albanese announced his relocation to London to lead the UK operations of a16z crypto, which had opened its London office in 2023. He continued to serve as the firm's global COO from this new base. Shortly after his move, in August 2024, he commented on the opportunity for the UK's new Labour government to "win the global race to craft smart crypto policy to drive innovation and growth."

However, in a significant shift in strategy, Albanese announced on January 24, 2025, that Andreessen Horowitz would be closing its UK office. He stated that the decision was made to "focus on the US given the new administration’s strong policy momentum" regarding cryptocurrency. Despite the closure, he affirmed the firm's continued confidence in the UK's crypto sector and its commitment to investing in UK-based entrepreneurs.^{[9] [10] [11] [1]}