Sam Broner
@sambroner.com
Generally Happy.
Investor @ a16z crypto | prev: MIT, Fluid Framework, Distributed Systems @ Microsoft
Investor @ a16z crypto | prev: MIT, Fluid Framework, Distributed Systems @ Microsoft
Also, yes, Google, stablecoins do share characteristics with banknotes, but that takes kinda played out now. I think we've moved on to comparing stables to $1 bearer notes from narrow banks?
August 28, 2025 at 6:11 PM
Also, yes, Google, stablecoins do share characteristics with banknotes, but that takes kinda played out now. I think we've moved on to comparing stables to $1 bearer notes from narrow banks?
Bummer that Google's stablecoin take is "better payments through evolution, not revolution"
Stablecoins have gravity. They're better money with unique characteristics (atomic settlement, programmability, composability) that make new scenarios possible.
Evolution to onboard, revolution to win.
Stablecoins have gravity. They're better money with unique characteristics (atomic settlement, programmability, composability) that make new scenarios possible.
Evolution to onboard, revolution to win.
August 28, 2025 at 6:11 PM
Bummer that Google's stablecoin take is "better payments through evolution, not revolution"
Stablecoins have gravity. They're better money with unique characteristics (atomic settlement, programmability, composability) that make new scenarios possible.
Evolution to onboard, revolution to win.
Stablecoins have gravity. They're better money with unique characteristics (atomic settlement, programmability, composability) that make new scenarios possible.
Evolution to onboard, revolution to win.
Gdocs - by having the "refine" button move from the right button tray to the highlighted text and allowing a delayed UI change, you're making me click the emoji button instead of the comment button.
It's very annoying!
It's very annoying!
May 22, 2025 at 12:03 AM
Gdocs - by having the "refine" button move from the right button tray to the highlighted text and allowing a delayed UI change, you're making me click the emoji button instead of the comment button.
It's very annoying!
It's very annoying!
May 9, 2025 at 2:55 PM
Anyway, we’re going to hang after the rush, but I love the feeling of being proud of a friend from afar. I’m glad I got to see the success up close.
Go visit Paper Son Coffee on 2nd and Folsom. Say what’s up to Alex.
Go visit Paper Son Coffee on 2nd and Folsom. Say what’s up to Alex.
May 8, 2025 at 3:50 PM
Anyway, we’re going to hang after the rush, but I love the feeling of being proud of a friend from afar. I’m glad I got to see the success up close.
Go visit Paper Son Coffee on 2nd and Folsom. Say what’s up to Alex.
Go visit Paper Son Coffee on 2nd and Folsom. Say what’s up to Alex.
Vibe coded some improvements to my personal website (Thanks Cursor 🫶)
- Subscriptions via Beehiiv (go subscribe!)
- Faster rendering, especially images via nextjs images
- Tag sorting
- Removed cruft
Anything I should fix? Anything I should change? Sound off!
- Subscriptions via Beehiiv (go subscribe!)
- Faster rendering, especially images via nextjs images
- Tag sorting
- Removed cruft
Anything I should fix? Anything I should change? Sound off!
March 12, 2025 at 10:41 PM
Vibe coded some improvements to my personal website (Thanks Cursor 🫶)
- Subscriptions via Beehiiv (go subscribe!)
- Faster rendering, especially images via nextjs images
- Tag sorting
- Removed cruft
Anything I should fix? Anything I should change? Sound off!
- Subscriptions via Beehiiv (go subscribe!)
- Faster rendering, especially images via nextjs images
- Tag sorting
- Removed cruft
Anything I should fix? Anything I should change? Sound off!
If you've been following along and want to learn more, here's a full rundown of the the e-ink subway tracker I've been building.
Kira loves it!
Kira loves it!
March 3, 2025 at 2:04 PM
If you've been following along and want to learn more, here's a full rundown of the the e-ink subway tracker I've been building.
Kira loves it!
Kira loves it!
Why hasn't stablecoin adoption happened yet?
1. Companies aren't ready
2. Users don't like switching payments
🤦♂️
But it IS happening - market forces take time. I've met with ~15 companies in the last 3 months doing stablecoin payments & growing 10-30% a month!
1. Companies aren't ready
2. Users don't like switching payments
🤦♂️
But it IS happening - market forces take time. I've met with ~15 companies in the last 3 months doing stablecoin payments & growing 10-30% a month!
February 28, 2025 at 3:07 PM
Why hasn't stablecoin adoption happened yet?
1. Companies aren't ready
2. Users don't like switching payments
🤦♂️
But it IS happening - market forces take time. I've met with ~15 companies in the last 3 months doing stablecoin payments & growing 10-30% a month!
1. Companies aren't ready
2. Users don't like switching payments
🤦♂️
But it IS happening - market forces take time. I've met with ~15 companies in the last 3 months doing stablecoin payments & growing 10-30% a month!
Walmart, Chipotle & Krogers might grow 62%, 12% & 105% with stablecoins, but payments are not their business
But the non-bank payments companies (PSPs, card networks, wallets, p2p) have an even bigger opportunity!
They can 5-10x their transaction take rate & cut out the banks!
But the non-bank payments companies (PSPs, card networks, wallets, p2p) have an even bigger opportunity!
They can 5-10x their transaction take rate & cut out the banks!
February 28, 2025 at 3:06 PM
Walmart, Chipotle & Krogers might grow 62%, 12% & 105% with stablecoins, but payments are not their business
But the non-bank payments companies (PSPs, card networks, wallets, p2p) have an even bigger opportunity!
They can 5-10x their transaction take rate & cut out the banks!
But the non-bank payments companies (PSPs, card networks, wallets, p2p) have an even bigger opportunity!
They can 5-10x their transaction take rate & cut out the banks!
Stripe on stablecoins in their annual letter
- Cheaper
- Faster
- Open
- Programmable
Cheaper & faster yes, but open & programmable?
Open & programmable is open source, reliable, libre, entrepreneurial. A permanent platform & partner. Open & programmable is how ecosystems win
- Cheaper
- Faster
- Open
- Programmable
Cheaper & faster yes, but open & programmable?
Open & programmable is open source, reliable, libre, entrepreneurial. A permanent platform & partner. Open & programmable is how ecosystems win
February 27, 2025 at 10:58 PM
Stripe on stablecoins in their annual letter
- Cheaper
- Faster
- Open
- Programmable
Cheaper & faster yes, but open & programmable?
Open & programmable is open source, reliable, libre, entrepreneurial. A permanent platform & partner. Open & programmable is how ecosystems win
- Cheaper
- Faster
- Open
- Programmable
Cheaper & faster yes, but open & programmable?
Open & programmable is open source, reliable, libre, entrepreneurial. A permanent platform & partner. Open & programmable is how ecosystems win
I wrote some thoughts on 2024, but mostly got into the weeds on the software, processes and systems I've used for personal analytics since 2018.
Featured: 300 workouts, 587.4 miles, 1.4M lbs, 9 essays, 803 meetings, 132 travel days, 14 dates... & how I keep track of these things
Featured: 300 workouts, 587.4 miles, 1.4M lbs, 9 essays, 803 meetings, 132 travel days, 14 dates... & how I keep track of these things
January 16, 2025 at 3:58 PM
I wrote some thoughts on 2024, but mostly got into the weeds on the software, processes and systems I've used for personal analytics since 2018.
Featured: 300 workouts, 587.4 miles, 1.4M lbs, 9 essays, 803 meetings, 132 travel days, 14 dates... & how I keep track of these things
Featured: 300 workouts, 587.4 miles, 1.4M lbs, 9 essays, 803 meetings, 132 travel days, 14 dates... & how I keep track of these things
Talk to you after my strategic conquest
December 27, 2024 at 8:13 PM
Talk to you after my strategic conquest
I'm particularly excited about in person transactions
A shop selling a $2 coffee may lose 15% ($0.30!) to transaction costs. Credit cards are convenient, but stablecoins are too -- this past month 28.5M users made over 600M transactions, likely for less than $0.01 each!
A shop selling a $2 coffee may lose 15% ($0.30!) to transaction costs. Credit cards are convenient, but stablecoins are too -- this past month 28.5M users made over 600M transactions, likely for less than $0.01 each!
December 12, 2024 at 5:21 PM
I'm particularly excited about in person transactions
A shop selling a $2 coffee may lose 15% ($0.30!) to transaction costs. Credit cards are convenient, but stablecoins are too -- this past month 28.5M users made over 600M transactions, likely for less than $0.01 each!
A shop selling a $2 coffee may lose 15% ($0.30!) to transaction costs. Credit cards are convenient, but stablecoins are too -- this past month 28.5M users made over 600M transactions, likely for less than $0.01 each!
Stablecoin adoption likely wont start with the big business. Wedge use cases like international payments, remittances & even coffee shops are helping build stablecoin momentum
Intl payments are painful for small businesses! Intermediaries take up to $150 in fees to send $1000 from Mexico to Vietnam
Intl payments are painful for small businesses! Intermediaries take up to $150 in fees to send $1000 from Mexico to Vietnam
December 12, 2024 at 5:21 PM
Stablecoin adoption likely wont start with the big business. Wedge use cases like international payments, remittances & even coffee shops are helping build stablecoin momentum
Intl payments are painful for small businesses! Intermediaries take up to $150 in fees to send $1000 from Mexico to Vietnam
Intl payments are painful for small businesses! Intermediaries take up to $150 in fees to send $1000 from Mexico to Vietnam
Businesses want cheaper payment solutions!
For Walmart, Chipotle, and Krogers a 1.5% reduction in transaction costs could increase their net income (and therefore market cap) by 63%, 12%, and 105% respectively.
Cheaper payments create incredible improvements to profitability!
For Walmart, Chipotle, and Krogers a 1.5% reduction in transaction costs could increase their net income (and therefore market cap) by 63%, 12%, and 105% respectively.
Cheaper payments create incredible improvements to profitability!
December 12, 2024 at 5:21 PM
Businesses want cheaper payment solutions!
For Walmart, Chipotle, and Krogers a 1.5% reduction in transaction costs could increase their net income (and therefore market cap) by 63%, 12%, and 105% respectively.
Cheaper payments create incredible improvements to profitability!
For Walmart, Chipotle, and Krogers a 1.5% reduction in transaction costs could increase their net income (and therefore market cap) by 63%, 12%, and 105% respectively.
Cheaper payments create incredible improvements to profitability!
Stablecoins will eat payments
Today the payment landscape is dominated by gatekeepers & extractive networks - stifling competition, limiting the creativity of builders & taxing the profitability of every business
All businesses want to add 2% to their bottom line
Here's how👇
Today the payment landscape is dominated by gatekeepers & extractive networks - stifling competition, limiting the creativity of builders & taxing the profitability of every business
All businesses want to add 2% to their bottom line
Here's how👇
December 12, 2024 at 5:21 PM
Stablecoins will eat payments
Today the payment landscape is dominated by gatekeepers & extractive networks - stifling competition, limiting the creativity of builders & taxing the profitability of every business
All businesses want to add 2% to their bottom line
Here's how👇
Today the payment landscape is dominated by gatekeepers & extractive networks - stifling competition, limiting the creativity of builders & taxing the profitability of every business
All businesses want to add 2% to their bottom line
Here's how👇
Holiday gifts locked and loaded
December 6, 2024 at 5:36 PM
Holiday gifts locked and loaded
I figured out a partial refresh for this e-ink display and while I'm enamored by my achievement, it kind of detracts from the vibe.
I think I'll do partial refresh for the time (top right corner), but then do a full page refresh whenever the train/weather info changes. Thoughts?
I think I'll do partial refresh for the time (top right corner), but then do a full page refresh whenever the train/weather info changes. Thoughts?
December 5, 2024 at 2:39 AM
I figured out a partial refresh for this e-ink display and while I'm enamored by my achievement, it kind of detracts from the vibe.
I think I'll do partial refresh for the time (top right corner), but then do a full page refresh whenever the train/weather info changes. Thoughts?
I think I'll do partial refresh for the time (top right corner), but then do a full page refresh whenever the train/weather info changes. Thoughts?
Stablecoin adoption in payments is going to happen surprisingly fast. All businesses want to add 2% to their bottom line!
My contribution to a16z's Big Ideas in Crypto for 2025 👇
My contribution to a16z's Big Ideas in Crypto for 2025 👇
December 4, 2024 at 4:30 PM
Stablecoin adoption in payments is going to happen surprisingly fast. All businesses want to add 2% to their bottom line!
My contribution to a16z's Big Ideas in Crypto for 2025 👇
My contribution to a16z's Big Ideas in Crypto for 2025 👇
Cleaned it up! One or two more details, then frame and hang
December 3, 2024 at 1:16 AM
Cleaned it up! One or two more details, then frame and hang
Two days off work, time to mess around!
Subway and weather dashboard on e-ink. Will clean up the visual design and frame it so it looks good in our entryway.
Hit the comments with design or feature recs!
Subway and weather dashboard on e-ink. Will clean up the visual design and frame it so it looks good in our entryway.
Hit the comments with design or feature recs!
November 26, 2024 at 9:44 PM
Two days off work, time to mess around!
Subway and weather dashboard on e-ink. Will clean up the visual design and frame it so it looks good in our entryway.
Hit the comments with design or feature recs!
Subway and weather dashboard on e-ink. Will clean up the visual design and frame it so it looks good in our entryway.
Hit the comments with design or feature recs!
And of course, on Bacon Egg & Cheese. NYC's best price adjusted food and my favorite food. It's not close.
Nov 30, 2023
(But this is evergreen content)
Nov 30, 2023
(But this is evergreen content)
November 23, 2024 at 7:08 PM
And of course, on Bacon Egg & Cheese. NYC's best price adjusted food and my favorite food. It's not close.
Nov 30, 2023
(But this is evergreen content)
Nov 30, 2023
(But this is evergreen content)
On stablecoins. A recent fascination that dramatically lowers the cost of payments
Nov 14, 2024
bsky.app/profile/samb...
Nov 14, 2024
bsky.app/profile/samb...
November 23, 2024 at 7:05 PM
On stablecoins. A recent fascination that dramatically lowers the cost of payments
Nov 14, 2024
bsky.app/profile/samb...
Nov 14, 2024
bsky.app/profile/samb...
By looking at 250 years of banking history - specifically the evolution of money & bank deposits - we can peek into the future of stablecoin adoption
Fiat-backed stablecoins like USDC or USDT mimic old National Bank Notes - a bearer note redeemable for something stable like a bond or specie
Fiat-backed stablecoins like USDC or USDT mimic old National Bank Notes - a bearer note redeemable for something stable like a bond or specie
November 23, 2024 at 7:04 PM
By looking at 250 years of banking history - specifically the evolution of money & bank deposits - we can peek into the future of stablecoin adoption
Fiat-backed stablecoins like USDC or USDT mimic old National Bank Notes - a bearer note redeemable for something stable like a bond or specie
Fiat-backed stablecoins like USDC or USDT mimic old National Bank Notes - a bearer note redeemable for something stable like a bond or specie
Building malleable, single-use, local-first software and addressing "the agency gap"
Nov 18, 2024
bsky.app/profile/samb...
Nov 18, 2024
bsky.app/profile/samb...
November 23, 2024 at 7:00 PM
Building malleable, single-use, local-first software and addressing "the agency gap"
Nov 18, 2024
bsky.app/profile/samb...
Nov 18, 2024
bsky.app/profile/samb...