Katie Haun is a former Assistant U.S. Attorney who prosecuted major crypto-related federal cases including the Silk Road corruption case — during which she created the DOJ’s first cryptocurrency task force — subsequently became the first female general partner at Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) leading its cryptocurrency investment fund, and in 2022 left a16z to found Haun Ventures, raising a $1.5 billion debut fund to invest across early-stage Web3 companies and protocols.
Background
Katherine “Katie” Haun grew up in the Southeast United States and attended Stanford University and Stanford Law School. After law school she clerked for a federal judge and subsequently became an Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) in the Northern District of California — one of the most active federal districts for technology-related prosecution.
Federal Prosecution Career
As an AUSA, Haun worked on public corruption, organized crime, and technology cases. Her most notable crypto-related work:
DOJ Cryptocurrency Task Force (2014):
Haun created and led the Department of Justice’s first dedicated cryptocurrency task force at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California. The task force investigated crypto-related crimes before crypto was a mainstream concern.
Silk Road Corruption Case:
Haun prosecuted Shaun Bridges and Carl Mark Force IV — two federal law enforcement agents who were investigating the Silk Road dark web marketplace and diverted Bitcoins for personal gain. Both were convicted and sentenced to prison. This case was one of the early landmark federal prosecutions involving cryptocurrency theft by government officials.
Ripple Taskforce advisory:
She served as a board member of Ripple (XRP) beginning in 2018 — before joining a16z — which later was cited in SEC vs. Ripple proceedings as a disclosure relationship.
Andreessen Horowitz (a16z)
In 2018, Haun joined a16z as a general partner, becoming the firm’s first female GP. She co-led a16z’s crypto fund alongside Chris Dixon and later Sam Rosenblum. The a16z crypto team invested in Coinbase, Dapper Labs (CryptoKitties/NBA Top Shot), Compound, Uniswap, and many others.
A16z’s Crypto Fund I ($300M, 2018) and Crypto Fund II ($515M, 2020) were significantly successful; Crypto Fund III ($2.2B, 2021) and IV were raised at the market peak ahead of the 2022 downturn.
Haun Ventures
In January 2022, Haun announced she was leaving a16z to found Haun Ventures. In March 2022, she raised $1.5 billion across two funds — a $500M early-stage fund and a $1B acceleration stage fund — reportedly the largest debut VC fund by a solo GP in history at the time.
Haun Ventures investments include Web3 consumer applications, infrastructure, and DeFi protocols. The firm focuses notably on regulatory strategy given Haun’s legal background.
Key Dates
- 2012–2017 — AUSA, Northern District of California; creates DOJ crypto task force; prosecutes Silk Road agent corruption case.
- 2018 — Joins a16z as first female general partner; joins Ripple board.
- 2022 (January) — Announces departure from a16z.
- 2022 (March) — Raises $1.5B debut fund for Haun Ventures.
Common Misconceptions
- “Haun prosecuted Ross Ulbricht (Silk Road’s founder).” — The Ulbricht prosecution was handled separately by the SDNY and NDCA in a different case. Haun prosecuted the corrupt law enforcement agents investigating Silk Road, not Ulbricht himself.
- “Haun Ventures is part of a16z.” — Haun Ventures is a fully independent firm; Haun departed a16z to found it.
Last updated: 2026-04