Former North Carolina Congressman and Chair of the House Financial Services Committee, Patrick McHenry, has joined Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) as a senior advisor. McHenry, who served in Congress for 20 years and was notably the speaker pro tempore of the House, will assist a16z in navigating the policy landscape and supporting its portfolio companies. Andreessen Horowitz, a prominent Silicon Valley venture capital firm with $45 billion under management, is known for early investments in companies like Twitter, Airbnb, and Facebook. The firm's founders, Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz, are politically active, with Andreessen publicly supporting President Donald Trump and both funding the Fairshake super PAC, which supports both Republican and Democratic candidates. McHenry's move to a16z coincides with a significant day for cryptocurrency policy, as the Senate's first subcommittee on digital asset policy convenes. This subcommittee's top Democrat, Sen. Ruben Gallego, emphasized the dual nature of crypto as both an opportunity and a challenge, calling for robust oversight to prevent its use in illegal activities while promoting innovation that benefits everyday Americans. Gallego highlighted concerns about 'meme coins' like those related to Trump, DOGE, and Peanut the Squirrel, which he believes focus more on social media trends than on aiding unbanked communities.