a16z Invests $70M in EigenLayer as It Launches EigenCloud Platform

June 17, 2025 – Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) has doubled down on its support for EigenLayer, investing an additional $70 million in EIGEN tokens. The investment comes alongside the launch of EigenCloud, a new platform aiming to bridge blockchain trust with off-chain computing.

Key Takeaways

• a16z invests $70 million in EIGEN to support EigenCloud rollout
• EigenCloud enables verifiable Web2 and AI apps via EigenVerify, DA, and Compute
• BlackRock to use EigenCloud for asset verification in its $2B BUIDL fund
• Over 200 AVSs are active or in development on EigenLayer
• Total value locked on EigenLayer now exceeds $12 billion

Verifiability for Web2 and AI Applications

EigenCloud introduces a new model that enables developers to build verifiable off-chain applications, extending blockchain-level trust guarantees to traditional and AI-based systems. The platform consists of three components: EigenVerify for dispute resolution, EigenDA for data availability, and EigenCompute for execution of off-chain processes.

With these tools, developers can now design applications that require complex computations outside the blockchain while still maintaining cryptographic proofs of correctness.

Use Case: BlackRock’s $2B Fund

One of the first high-profile implementations of EigenCloud includes verifying asset pricing for BlackRock’s $2 billion BUIDL fund. This marks a significant real-world application of blockchain verifiability in traditional finance.

Backed by a16z, Powered by AVSs

The $70 million investment from a16z Crypto Fund IV follows the venture firm’s earlier participation in EigenLayer’s $100 million Series B round. According to Ali Yahya, General Partner at a16z, EigenCloud “unlocks a new paradigm” for building credibly neutral applications.

I’m excited to announce that we’ve invested an additional $70M in @EigenLayer tokens (EIGEN) with a lockup.

Over the past couple years, the Eigen team has unlocked a whole new paradigm for building applications that are verifiable and credibly neutral. pic.twitter.com/R48Vo7z3M3

— Ali Yahya (@alive_eth) June 17, 2025

The platform runs through a decentralized network of Autonomous Verifiable Services (AVSs), over 200 of which are either live or in development, showcasing early ecosystem traction.

EigenLayer’s Expanding Role in Ethereum

With over $12 billion in total value locked, EigenLayer has grown to become Ethereum’s largest restaking protocol since its mainnet debut in 2023. The launch of EigenCloud positions the protocol as a key infrastructure layer for scaling Ethereum’s trust model beyond crypto-native use cases.

Did You Know?

Ali Yahya, the a16z General Partner leading the EigenLayer investment, was previously an engineer at GoogleX and a researcher at Stanford before entering the crypto VC space—one of the first hires at a16z Crypto.