Balaji Srinivasan

He is the son of physician parents who immigrated from Tamil Nadu, India. Srinivasan grew up on Long Island, in Plainview, New York.{{cite news |title=The Blockchain Is the Internet of Money |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-blockchain-is-the-internet-of-money-1506119424 |newspaper=Wall Street Journal |date=September 22, 2017 |last1=Varadarajan |first1=Tunku |author-link=Tunku Varadarajan |access-date=June 17, 2021 |archive-date=December 4, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201204003504/https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-blockchain-is-the-internet-of-money-1506119424 |url-status=live }} He received BS, MS, and PhD degrees in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University and a MS in Chemical Engineering, also from Stanford.{{cite web |url=https://techcrunch.com/2018/04/30/coinbase-cto-balaji-srinivasan-joins-the-speakers-at-techcrunchs-first-blockchain-event/ |title=Coinbase CTO Balaji Srinivasan joins the speakers at TechCrunch's first blockchain event |author=Jon Russel |work=TechCrunch |date=April 30, 2018}} In 2007, he co-founded genetic testing company Counsyl, which provided tests to prospective parents to screen for Mendelian diseases.{{Cite web|last=Kafka|first=Peter|date=January 14, 2017|title=Balaji Srinivasan, who may run the FDA for Trump, hates the FDA. But Silicon Valley likes Srinivasan.|url=https://www.vox.com/2017/1/14/14276530/balaji-srinivasan-trump-fda-twitter-andreessen-horowitz|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210131062024/https://www.vox.com/2017/1/14/14276530/balaji-srinivasan-trump-fda-twitter-andreessen-horowitz|archive-date=January 31, 2021|access-date=February 6, 2021|website=Vox|publisher=|language=en}}{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=2013|title=Balaji Srinivasan|url=https://www.technologyreview.com/innovator/balaji-srinivasan/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://archive.today/20210206073448/https://www.technologyreview.com/innovator/balaji-srinivasan/|archive-date=February 6, 2021|access-date=February 6, 2021|website=MIT Technology Review|publisher=|language=en}} Counsyl was acquired by Myriad Genetics for $375 million in 2018.{{Cite web|title=Myriad Genetics Signs Definitive Agreement to Acquire Counsyl, Inc. {{!}} Myriad Genetics, Inc.|url=https://investor.myriad.com/news-releases/news-release-details/myriad-genetics-signs-definitive-agreement-acquire-counsyl-inc|access-date=April 30, 2021|website=investor.myriad.com|language=en|archive-date=April 30, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210430030924/https://investor.myriad.com/news-releases/news-release-details/myriad-genetics-signs-definitive-agreement-acquire-counsyl-inc|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|date=May 29, 2018|title=Myriad Genetics to Acquire Counsyl for $375M|url=https://www.genomeweb.com/business-news/myriad-genetics-acquire-counsyl-375m|access-date=April 30, 2021|website=Genomeweb|language=en|archive-date=April 30, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210430030933/https://www.genomeweb.com/business-news/myriad-genetics-acquire-counsyl-375m|url-status=live}} In 2013, he joined the venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz as a general partner.{{Cite news|last=Gannes|first=Liz|date=December 10, 2013|title=Balaji Srinivasan Joins Andreessen Horowitz as General Partner|language=en-US|work=Wall Street Journal|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/DJFVW00020131209e9c9vc8it|access-date=April 29, 2021|issn=0099-9660|archive-date=April 29, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210429232927/https://www.wsj.com/articles/DJFVW00020131209e9c9vc8it|url-status=live}}{{Cite web |last=Cutler |first=Kim-Mai |date=December 9, 2013 |title=Counsyl Co-Founder Balaji Srinivasan Steps Up As Andreessen Horowitz' Newest General Partner |url=https://techcrunch.com/2013/12/09/counsyl-srinivasan-andreessen-horowitz/ |access-date=November 1, 2022 |website=TechCrunch |language=en-US}}

In 2013, Srinivasan co-founded 21e6, which later became 21 Inc,{{Cite web |date=May 20, 2015 |title=What Is 21.co Really Building? An Excerpt From Digital Gold {{!}} TechCrunch |url=https://techcrunch.com/2015/05/18/what-is-21-co-really-doing-an-excerpt-from-digital-gold/ |access-date=October 29, 2022 |archive-date=May 20, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150520234427/https://techcrunch.com/2015/05/18/what-is-21-co-really-doing-an-excerpt-from-digital-gold/ |url-status=bot: unknown }} a Bitcoin mining startup raising over $120 million from investors.{{Cite web|last1=Srinivasan|first1=Balaji |authorlink=Balaji Srinivasan| date=April 16, 2018|title=The Turnaround|url=https://medium.com/@balajis/the-turnaround-2d145589d814|access-date=April 30, 2021|website=Medium|language=en|archive-date=April 30, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210430060302/https://medium.com/@balajis/the-turnaround-2d145589d814|url-status=live}}{{Primary source inline|date=April 2021}} The company failed as a bitcoin mining business and pivoted to become Earn.com, which allowed senders to pay users in cryptocurrency to reply to emails.{{cite news |last1=Mann |first1=Sonya |title=Now You Can Earn Cryptocurrency for Opening Your Email |url=https://www.inc.com/sonya-mann/earn-com-21-co-cryptocurrency-email.html |date=February 16, 218|work=inc.com |access-date=2 November 2022}} Earn.com was acquired by digital currency exchange company Coinbase in April 2018.{{Cite web|last=Rooney|first=Kate|date=April 16, 2018|title=Bitcoin exchange Coinbase buys Earn.com for a reported $100M and adds key executive|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2018/04/16/bitcoin-exchange-coinbase-buys-earn-com-for-a-reported-100m.html|access-date=April 24, 2021|website=CNBC|language=en|archive-date=April 24, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210424192832/https://www.cnbc.com/2018/04/16/bitcoin-exchange-coinbase-buys-earn-com-for-a-reported-100m.html|url-status=live}}{{Cite news|date=April 17, 2018|title=Coinbase Acquires Earn.com|language=en-US|work=Wall Street Journal|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/coinbase-acquires-earn-com-1523926544|access-date=April 29, 2021|issn=0099-9660|archive-date=April 29, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210429232928/https://www.wsj.com/articles/coinbase-acquires-earn-com-1523926544|url-status=live}} After Coinbase purchased Earn.com, it became Coinbase Earn and Srinivasan became Coinbase's first CTO.{{Cite web |last=Russell |first=Jon |date=May 4, 2019 |title=Coinbase loses its first CTO after just one year in the job |url=https://techcrunch.com/2019/05/03/coinbase-cto-balaji-srinivasan/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191130234828/https://techcrunch.com/2019/05/03/coinbase-cto-balaji-srinivasan/ |archive-date=November 30, 2019 |access-date=February 6, 2021 |website=TechCrunch |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Armstrong |first=Brian |date=April 16, 2018 |title=Welcome Balaji Srinivasan, Coinbase's new Chief Technology Officer |url=https://blog.coinbase.com/welcome-balaji-srinivasan-coinbases-new-chief-technology-officer-e746503d7ab6 |access-date=April 23, 2021 |website=Medium |language=en |archive-date=June 24, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190624153824/https://blog.coinbase.com/welcome-balaji-srinivasan-coinbases-new-chief-technology-officer-e746503d7ab6 |url-status=live}} He left the company in 2019.{{cite news |last1=Russell |first1=Jon |title=Coinbase loses its first CTO after just one year in the job |url=https://techcrunch.com/2019/05/03/coinbase-cto-balaji-srinivasan/ |work=TechCrunch |date=May 4, 2019 |access-date=February 6, 2021 |archive-date=February 4, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210204101050/https://techcrunch.com/2019/05/03/coinbase-cto-balaji-srinivasan/ |url-status=live}} Coinbase shut down Coinbase Earn in December 2019.

In April 2014, he co-founded Teleport, a job search engine. Teleport was acquired by Topia in 2017.{{Cite web |last=Cutler |first=Kim-Mai |date=May 19, 2014 |title=Andreessen-Incubated Teleport Aims To Make Location Irrelevant For Mobile Workers |url=https://techcrunch.com/2014/05/19/teleport/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150301002549/https://techcrunch.com/2014/05/19/teleport/ |archive-date=March 1, 2015 |access-date=August 4, 2016 |website=TechCrunch |publisher=}}{{Cite web |last=Hankewitz |first=Sten |date=April 3, 2017 |title=Estonian startup Teleport acquired by MOVE Guides |url=https://estonianworld.com/business/estonian-startup-teleport-acquired-move-guides/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190316104449/http://estonianworld.com/business/estonian-startup-teleport-acquired-move-guides/ |archive-date=March 16, 2019 |access-date=February 6, 2021 |website=Estonian World |language=en-GB}} In September 2024, Srinivasan started The Network School, a school for people interested in developing "network nations" and "decentralized countries." Located in Forest City, Johor, Malaysia, the school had an initial enrollment of 150. Students are required to have an admiration of “Western values,” to believe Bitcoin is the successor to the US Federal Reserve, and to trust AI over human courts and judges.Haskins, Caroline (September 23, 2024) [https://www.wired.com/story/network-school-balaji-srinivasan/ "A Mysterious School for the Network State Crowd Is Now in Session."]. Wired. (Retrieved October 9, 2024).

In 2013, in a talk at Y Combinator's Startup School titled "Silicon Valley's Ultimate Exit" and in a Wired article called "Software Is Reorganizing the World",{{Cite magazine|title=Software Is Reorganizing the World|language=en-US|magazine=Wired|url=https://www.wired.com/2013/11/software-is-reorganizing-the-world-and-cloud-formations-could-lead-to-physical-nations/|access-date=April 30, 2021|issn=1059-1028|archive-date=May 4, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210504044329/https://www.wired.com/2013/11/software-is-reorganizing-the-world-and-cloud-formations-could-lead-to-physical-nations/|url-status=live}} Srinivasan urged the technology industry to digitally exit the United States and move abroad. The talk was received positively by Reason,{{Cite web|date=October 30, 2013|title=Tech Should Make It Easier To Escape Government Control, Says Startup Veteran Balaji Srinivasan|url=https://reason.com/2013/10/30/tech-should-make-it-easier-to-escape-the/|access-date=April 30, 2021|website=Reason.com|language=en-US|archive-date=April 30, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210430060303/https://reason.com/2013/10/30/tech-should-make-it-easier-to-escape-the/|url-status=live}} Wired,{{Cite magazine|title=Silicon Valley's Elite Don't Want to Secede. They Just Want to Stay on Top|language=en-US|magazine=Wired|url=https://www.wired.com/2013/12/balaji-srinivasan-joins-a16z/|access-date=April 30, 2021|issn=1059-1028|archive-date=April 11, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210411191930/https://www.wired.com/2013/12/balaji-srinivasan-joins-a16z/|url-status=live}} and Bloomberg News;{{Cite news|first1=Stephen L. |last1=Carter|date=November 8, 2013|title=Is Silicon Valley Arrogant? Not by My Definition|language=en|work=Bloomberg.com|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2013-11-08/is-silicon-valley-arrogant-not-by-my-definition|access-date=April 30, 2021|archive-date=April 30, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210430060303/https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2013-11-08/is-silicon-valley-arrogant-not-by-my-definition|url-status=live}} it was criticized by The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal.{{Cite news|last=Giridharadas|first=Anand|date=October 28, 2013|title=Silicon Valley Roused by Secession Call|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/29/us/silicon-valley-roused-by-secession-call.html|access-date=April 30, 2021|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=April 23, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210423113654/https://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/29/us/silicon-valley-roused-by-secession-call.html|url-status=live}}{{Cite news|last=Manjoo|first=Farhad|date=November 4, 2013|title=Silicon Valley Has an Arrogance Problem|language=en-US|work=Wall Street Journal|url=https://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303661404579175712015473766.html|access-date=April 30, 2021|issn=0099-9660}} After TechCrunch mentioned the speech in an article exploring links between Silicon Valley tech leaders and the far-right Dark Enlightenment movement,{{cite news |last1=Finley |first1=Klint |title=Geeks for Monarchy: The Rise of the Neoreactionaries |url=https://techcrunch.com/2013/11/22/geeks-for-monarchy/ |work=TechCrunch |date=November 23, 2013 |access-date=June 17, 2021 |archive-date=March 26, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140326035842/http://techcrunch.com/2013/11/22/geeks-for-monarchy/ |url-status=live }} Srinivasan wrote in an email to Dark Enlightenment leader Curtis Yarvin, "If things get hot, it may be interesting to sic the Dark Enlightenment audience on a single vulnerable hostile reporter to dox them and turn them inside out with hostile reporting sent to *their* advertisers/friends/contacts."{{cite web |last1=Cavaliere |first1=Victoria |date=February 21, 2021 |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/venture-capitalist-balaji-srinivasan-suggested-doxxing-journalist-nyt-2021-2 |title=Venture capitalist Balaji Srinivasan reportedly suggested doxxing a journalist who reported on narratives he didn't like |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210214235454/https://www.businessinsider.com/venture-capitalist-balaji-srinivasan-suggested-doxxing-journalist-nyt-2021-2 |archive-date=February 14, 2021 |url-status=live |work=Business Insider |access-date=April 21, 2021}}{{cite news |last1=Metz |first1=Cade |date=February 22, 2021 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/13/technology/slate-star-codex-rationalists.html |title=Silicon Valley's Safe Space |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210420171731/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/13/technology/slate-star-codex-rationalists.html |archive-date=April 20, 2021 |work=New York Times |access-date=April 21, 2021 |url-status=live |url-access=subscription}}

In 2022, in a self-published book titled The Network State: How To Start a New Country, Srinivasan elaborated on his ideas about online nationality and the need to break away from geographical governments. The book describes the concept of a "network state" in which digital communities crowd-fund resources to build autonomous cities and states.{{Cite web |last=Chitkara |first=Hirsh |date=September 17, 2022 |title=For God and 'The Network State': The crypto elite's endgame |url=https://www.protocol.com/policy/srinivasan-network-state |access-date=October 24, 2022 |website=Protocol |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Balaji Srinivasan: The Network State [The Knowledge Project Ep. #134] |url=https://fs.blog/knowledge-project-podcast/balaji-srinivasan-2/ |access-date=October 24, 2022 |website=Farnam Street |language=en-US}} The ideas in the book were inspired by the work of the economist Albert O. Hirschman, who sees two basic paths to reform, one called voice (remake the system from within) and another called exit (leave and build something new).{{Cite web |date=October 12, 2022 |title=Balaji Srinivasan: How to build your own country in the cloud |url=https://reason.com/video/2022/10/12/balaji-srinivasan-how-to-build-your-own-country-in-the-cloud/ |access-date=October 31, 2022 |website=Reason.com |language=en-US}}

In an April 2024 article for The New Republic, Gil Duran warned against dismissing the Network State as an unpopular fringe theory.{{cite magazine |last1=Duran |first1=Gil |author-link1=Gil Duran |title=The Tech Baron Seeking to Purge San Francisco of "Blues" |url=https://newrepublic.com/article/180487/balaji-srinivasan-network-state-plutocrat |access-date=April 27, 2024 |magazine=The New Republic |date=April 26, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240427021940/https://newrepublic.com/article/180487/balaji-srinivasan-network-state-plutocrat |archive-date=April 27, 2024 |url-status=live}} His article drew from Srinivasan's September 2023 podcast interview in which he called for tech-friendly people to seize political power and take control of cities. Srinivasan said his plan would exclude Democrats from areas the techies control. He suggested bribing the police (with banquets and jobs for their relatives) to prevent them from enforcing laws disadvantageous to technology companies.{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqJoXaNFFjY|title= Balaji on How the Tech Tribe Can Save Our Cities [Part 2] |website= YouTube |date= September 10, 2023 }} Duran argued that Srinivasan's ideas reveal an "appetite for autocracy".

Philosopher Slavoj Žižek, among other publicists, has criticized the Network State concept, describing it as a form of modern colonialism resembling Dutch East India Company.{{Cite web |last=Žižek |first=Slavoj |date=2025-03-08 |title=NETWORK STATES? NO THANKS! |url=https://slavoj.substack.com/p/network-states-no-thanks |access-date=2025-04-06 |website=ŽIŽEK GOADS AND PRODS}}{{Cite web |date=2025-01-06 |title=Decoding the "Network State" |url=https://america2.news/decoding-the-network-state/ |access-date=2025-04-06 |website=America 2.0 |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Ropek |first=Lucas |date=2024-12-27 |title=Worst New Trend of 2024: Techno-Colonialism and the Network State Movement |url=https://gizmodo.com/worst-new-trend-of-2024-techno-colonialism-and-the-network-state-movement-2000525617 |access-date=2025-04-06 |website=Gizmodo |language=en-US}}

MIT Technology Review named Srinivasan on its list of "Innovators Under 35" in 2013. In 2018, Fortune ranked him 26th on its "The Ledger 40 Under 40" list.

In 2017, the Trump Administration considered appointing Srinivasan as FDA Commissioner.{{Cite web|last=Balakrishnan|first=Anita|date=January 12, 2017|title=Trump met with two Silicon Valley insiders who may join the FDA|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2017/01/12/trump-met-silicon-valley-insiders-about-fda.html|access-date=April 29, 2021|website=CNBC|language=en|archive-date=April 29, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210429232927/https://www.cnbc.com/2017/01/12/trump-met-silicon-valley-insiders-about-fda.html|url-status=live}}{{Cite news|last=Burton|first=Thomas M.|date=January 13, 2017|title=Donald Trump Looking Beyond Traditional Medical Experts for FDA Commissioner|language=en-US|work=Wall Street Journal|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/donald-trump-looking-beyond-traditional-medical-experts-for-fda-commissioner-1484315356|access-date=April 24, 2021|issn=0099-9660|archive-date=April 24, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210424081311/https://www.wsj.com/articles/donald-trump-looking-beyond-traditional-medical-experts-for-fda-commissioner-1484315356|url-status=live}}{{Cite news|last=George|first=Varghese K.|date=January 17, 2017|title=Indian American could be FDA head under Trump|language=en-IN|work=The Hindu|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/Indian-American-could-be-FDA-head-under-Trump/article17047391.ece|access-date=April 29, 2021|issn=0971-751X|archive-date=April 29, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210429232929/https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/Indian-American-could-be-FDA-head-under-Trump/article17047391.ece|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|last=Langlois|first=Shawn|title=The coronavirus will forever change us, according to an investor who was once eyed for Trump's top FDA gig|url=https://www.marketwatch.com/story/the-coronavirus-will-forever-change-us-according-to-an-investor-who-was-once-eyed-for-trumps-top-fda-gig-2020-04-07|access-date=April 29, 2021|website=MarketWatch|date=April 7, 2020 |language=en-US|archive-date=April 29, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210429232929/https://www.marketwatch.com/story/the-coronavirus-will-forever-change-us-according-to-an-investor-who-was-once-eyed-for-trumps-top-fda-gig-2020-04-07|url-status=live}}{{Cite news|last=Burton|first=Thomas M.|date=January 13, 2017|title=Donald Trump Looking Beyond Traditional Medical Experts for FDA Commissioner|language=en-US|work=Wall Street Journal|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/donald-trump-looking-beyond-traditional-medical-experts-for-fda-commissioner-1484315356|access-date=April 29, 2021|issn=0099-9660|archive-date=April 25, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210425085005/https://www.wsj.com/articles/donald-trump-looking-beyond-traditional-medical-experts-for-fda-commissioner-1484315356|url-status=live}}{{Cite news|last=RAJAGOPAL|first=DIVYA|title=Balaji S Srinivasan may join Trump's team|work=The Economic Times|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/small-biz/hr-leadership/people/balaji-s-srinivasan-may-join-trumps-team/articleshow/56618886.cms?from=mdr|access-date=April 30, 2021|archive-date=April 30, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210430030924/https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/small-biz/hr-leadership/people/balaji-s-srinivasan-may-join-trumps-team/articleshow/56618886.cms?from=mdr|url-status=live}} While being considered for the appointment, Srinivasan deleted all of his tweets, including tweets critical of the FDA.{{Cite web|last=Kafka|first=Peter|date=January 14, 2017|title=Balaji Srinivasan, who may run the FDA for Trump, hates the FDA. But Silicon Valley likes Srinivasan.|url=https://www.vox.com/2017/1/14/14276530/balaji-srinivasan-trump-fda-twitter-andreessen-horowitz|access-date=April 30, 2021|website=Vox|language=en|archive-date=January 31, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210131062024/https://www.vox.com/2017/1/14/14276530/balaji-srinivasan-trump-fda-twitter-andreessen-horowitz|url-status=live}} In one such deleted tweet, Srinivasan wrote, "For every thalidomide, many dead from slowed approvals."Chafkin, Max (September 15, 2021) [https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2021-09-15/peter-thiel-gamed-silicon-valley-tech-trump-taxes-and-politics "Peter Thiel Gamed Silicon Valley, Donald Trump, and Democracy to Make Billions, Tax-Free."] Bloomberg Businessweek. (Retrieved October 15, 2021.) In July 2020, Srinivasan drew attention after criticizing Taylor Lorenz's reporting alleged misbehavior of Away's CEO on Twitter. On the Twitter thread, he suggested Lorenz and activists like her are "sociopaths". Lorenz defended herself and characterized Srinivasan's previous actions as harassment on Clubhouse and other platforms.{{Cite web|title=Silicon Valley Elite Discuss Journalists Having Too Much Power in Private App|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/silicon-valley-elite-discuss-journalists-having-too-much-power-in-private-app/|access-date=May 28, 2021|website=Vice.com|date=July 2, 2020 |language=en|archive-date=May 23, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210523083120/https://www.vice.com/en/article/n7w3zw/silicon-valley-elite-discuss-journalists-having-too-much-power-in-private-app|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|last=Kasana|first=Mehreen|title=A journalist does not deserve to be harassed by VCs for doing her job|url=https://www.inputmag.com/culture/a-journalist-does-not-deserved-to-be-harassed-by-vcs-taylor-lorenz-balaji-srinivasan|access-date=May 28, 2021|website=Input|date=July 3, 2020 |language=en|archive-date=May 31, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210531163710/https://www.inputmag.com/culture/a-journalist-does-not-deserved-to-be-harassed-by-vcs-taylor-lorenz-balaji-srinivasan|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|last=Newton|first=Casey|date=July 7, 2020|title=How Twitter is shifting the power balance from companies to their employees|url=https://www.theverge.com/interface/2020/7/7/21314636/twitter-nyt-taylor-lorenz-balaji-labor-movement|access-date=May 28, 2021|website=The Verge|language=en|archive-date=April 28, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210428144044/https://www.theverge.com/interface/2020/7/7/21314636/twitter-nyt-taylor-lorenz-balaji-labor-movement|url-status=live}}{{Cite magazine|last=Levy|first=Steven|date=July 10, 2020|title=Where Are the Adults in the Clubhouse?|magazine=Wired |url=https://www.wired.com/story/plaintext-where-are-the-adults-in-the-clubhouse/|url-status=live|access-date=June 17, 2021|archive-date=March 8, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308222257/https://www.wired.com/story/plaintext-where-are-the-adults-in-the-clubhouse/}}

In April 2021, Srinivasan donated $50,000 in cryptocurrency to aid in Indian COVID-19 relief during a resurgence of the virus in the country. On Twitter, he pledged to donate another $50 for every time his post was retweeted, up to $100,000.{{Cite news |title=Tech bosses pad up to help India in Covid fight; angel investor Balaji Srinivasan, Vinod Khosla, Sundar Pichai offer monetary support |work=The Economic Times |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/magazines/panache/tech-bosses-pad-up-to-help-india-in-covid-fight-angel-investor-balaji-srinivasan-vinod-khosla-sundar-pichai-offer-monetary-support/articleshow/82257959.cms |access-date=April 29, 2021 |archive-date=April 29, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210429145625/https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/magazines/panache/tech-bosses-pad-up-to-help-india-in-covid-fight-angel-investor-balaji-srinivasan-vinod-khosla-sundar-pichai-offer-monetary-support/articleshow/82257959.cms |url-status=live}} On March 17, 2023, Srinivasan bet James Medlock, a left-leaning economics influencer, that one Bitcoin (then worth less than $30,000) would be worth $1 million in 90 days. Srinivasan made the bet after Medlock tweeted, "I'll bet anyone $1 million dollars that the US does not enter hyperinflation."Schreckinger, Ben (March 20, 2023) [https://www.politico.com/newsletters/digital-future-daily/2023/03/20/a-big-bet-on-the-near-term-future-of-money-00087928 "A big bet on the near-term future of... money."] Politico.com. (Retrieved June 6, 2023.) Srinivasan conceded the bet early and paid an additional {{USD|500000}} to bitcoin core developers.{{cite news |last1=DiCamillo |first1=Nate |title=Balaji Srinivasan lost $1 million in a bizarre bitcoin bet |url=https://qz.com/balaji-srinivasan-lost-1-million-in-a-bizarre-bitcoin-1850399034 |access-date=April 19, 2024 |work=Quartz |date=May 3, 2023 |language=en}} Forbes remarked shortly after the bet was made that Srinivasan owns "a considerable amount of bitcoin" and his $1 million bet on Bitcoin "might be a mere marketing ploy or even a pump-and-dump scheme".Kochkodin, Brandon (March 20, 2023) [https://www.forbes.com/sites/brandonkochkodin/2023/03/20/who-is-balaji-srinivasan-and-why-should-we-care-about-his-1-million-bitcoin-prediction/?sh=3588ca045bd1 "Who Is Balaji Srinivasan And Why Should We Care About His $1 Million Bitcoin Prediction?"] Forbes. (Retrieved May 1, 2023.) Ninety days after Srinivasan made his bet, the price of a Bitcoin was down roughly 3 percent from its March 17 price.Querishi, Mehab (June 17, 2023) [https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/news/yikes-only-1-day-remaining-for-balaji-srinivasans-dollar1m-bet%E2%80%94yet-bitcoin-fails-to-surge-by-even-1percent/ar-AA1cDioe "Yikes! Only 1 Day Remaining For Balaji Srinivasan's $1M Bet—Yet Bitcoin Fails To Surge By Even 1%."] MSN.com. (Retrieved June 20, 2023.)

Srinivasan married journalist Boonsri Dickinson in 2015.{{Cite web |last=Steinberg |first=Jon |date=November 18, 2023 |title=Live By the Valley, Die By the Valley |url=https://www.theinformation.com/articles/live-by-the-valley-die-by-the-valley |website=The Information |url-access=subscription}}{{Cite magazine |last=Wallace |first=Benjamin |date=May 12, 2021 |title=Tech vs. Journalism: How Silicon Valley Gets Written About |url=https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2021/05/tech-vs-journalism-silicon-valley-reporters.html |magazine=Intelligencer}} In 2020, the couple moved to Singapore.{{cite web |date=February 16, 2021 |title=Entrepreneurs don't need to come to US to build billion-dollar businesses, says Balaji Srinivasan |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/tech-bytes/entrepreneurs-dont-need-to-come-to-us-to-build-billion-dollar-businesses-says-balaji-srinivasan/articleshow/80992666.cms |access-date=October 21, 2022 |website=The Economic Times}}https://www.linkedin.com/mwlite/profile/in/boonsri

{{Reflist}}

• [https://twitter.com/balajis Balaji Srinivasan on Twitter]
• [https://thenetworkstate.com/ The Network State book online]

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Srinivasan, Balaji}}

Category:American chief technology officers

Category:Angel investors

Category:American venture capitalists

Category:People associated with Bitcoin

Category:Living people

Category:American people of Indian descent

Category:People from Plainview, New York

Category:1980 births