Andreessen: Proposed Developer Liability Rule Could Kill Crypto Industry

a16z general partner Marc Andreessen has described a proposed developer-liability provision in the CLARITY Act as a 'kill shot' for the crypto industry.

He argued that holding developers accountable for misuse of their code would make open-source software development legally unworkable, citing examples such as blaming a hotel owner for a guest's crime or an automobile manufacturer for a getaway car used in a robbery.

Dixon warned that unlimited downstream liability would cascade through academic research, venture investing, and eventually big companies, making it untenable for developers to take on legal risk. They emphasized the need for balance between innovation and regulation, defending the ethics and stablecoin provisions of the bill.