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Balaji Srinivasan Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated September 4, 2026 • 6 min read

Quick Info

Date of birth24 May 1980

Age43 Years (as of 2023)

BirthplaceLong Island, New York

ProfessionInvestor, Entrepreneur, Technologist, Lecturer

NationalityAmerican

FamilyParents emigrated from India (physicians); brother Ramji

Balaji Srinivasan Biography

Balaji S. Srinivasan is an Indian-American entrepreneur, investor, and technologist known for work in genomics, cryptocurrency, and startup engineering. A

Early life and background

Balaji S. Srinivasan was born on May 24, 1980, and raised on Long Island, New York. His parents emigrated from India and worked as physicians. Srinivasan pursued an intensive path in electrical engineering, earning a Bachelor of Science, a Master of Science, and ultimately a PhD in electrical engineering. He has been associated with Stanford University both as a student and later as a lecturer in computer science and statistics.

Career

Srinivasan’s career blends scientific research, entrepreneurship, venture investing, and policy engagement. Early in his academic work he focused on genomics and bioinformatics, co-authoring papers on topics that included Mendelian disease, population genetics, pharmacogenetics, and microbial genomics. That foundation fed into his role as a founding member and later chief technology officer of Counsyl, a genomics company born from a Stanford dorm-room idea. At Counsyl he oversaw scientific engineering, product and technical vision, and broader organisational functions during the company’s formative years; Counsyl was acquired by Myriad Genetics in 2018.

Following his time at Counsyl, Srinivasan co-founded and led a number of technology companies. He co-founded Teleport, a search product aimed at digital nomads that was acquired in 2017, and co-founded Coin Centre, an advocacy and policy organisation focused on digital currencies and blockchain technology. He co-founded Earn.com and served as its CEO; Earn.com was acquired by Coinbase in 2018, after which Srinivasan became Coinbase’s first chief technology officer. At Coinbase he worked on integrations and product launches including Coinbase Earn and the USDC stablecoin.

In venture capital, Srinivasan joined Andreessen Horowitz as a general partner in 2013 and later became a board partner. He has served as an angel investor and advisor to a wide range of startups and crypto protocols, and has been an early backer of many prominent blockchain projects.

Academic and public-facing work

Since 2006 Srinivasan has taught at Stanford in computer science and statistics. He created and instructed a Massive Open Online Course on startup engineering that drew hundreds of thousands of students. He has published on clinical and microbial genomics and has remained engaged in public conversations at the intersection of biology, computation, and entrepreneurship.

Contributions and recognition

Srinivasan’s genomics work at Counsyl produced a pre-pregnancy genomic test that garnered attention for its potential to identify heritable conditions, and was recognised in industry and science circles. In 2010 his work was highlighted among notable innovations, and he received an MIT TR35 award recognising innovators under 35. In 2018 he appeared on a Fortune list recognising influential young venture capitalists. In blockchain circles he co-introduced the Nakamoto coefficient, a metric used to reason about decentralisation.

Public profile

Srinivasan has been an active public commentator on technology, crypto, and public health. In early 2020 his commentary on the seriousness of COVID-19 drew media notice. He has also engaged with policy institutions and political figures; in 2017 he met with the U.S. president to discuss the future of the Food and Drug Administration and was considered for a role at the agency.

Several episodes in his public life drew controversy. Reports document a 2013 email in which he suggested doxxing a journalist, and he was involved in a high-profile Twitter dispute with a New York Times reporter in 2020. These incidents have formed part of public debate about his influence and behaviour in media and tech communities.

Latest updates

In March 2023 Srinivasan drew headlines for a highly publicised $1 million bet tied to Bitcoin’s future price and for launching a related public signal campaign. He later announced the bet concluded by mutual agreement and completed the payment. In April 2021 he donated cryptocurrency to COVID-19 relief efforts in India and offered to amplify fundraising through social media incentives.

Personal life

Srinivasan is an American national and is identified with the Republican Party in public reporting. Basic physical details reported in public profiles list his height at approximately 173 cm (about 5'8") and weight near 65 kg (about 143 lbs). His family includes a brother named Ramji; details about his marital status are not publicly specified in the available material.
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Recent Work

Coinbase CTO / Earn.com

Served as CEO of Earn.com before its acquisition by Coinbase in 2018 and then became Coinbase’s first chief technology officer, working on Coinbase Earn integrations and the launch of USDC.

2018
Telepor t (Teleport)

Co-founded a search platform for digital nomads; the company was acquired in 2017.

2017
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Career Highlights

  1. Co-founder and CTO of Counsyl, a genomics startup acquired by Myriad Genetics
  2. Co-founder and CEO of Earn.com; joined Coinbase as first CTO after acquisition
  3. General partner and later board partner at Andreessen Horowitz
  4. Co-introduced the Nakamoto coefficient to measure blockchain decentralisation
  5. MIT TR35 award recipient and named on Fortune’s Ledger 40 under 40 list
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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Balaji Srinivasan born?

24 May 1980

What is Balaji Srinivasan known for?

Investor, Entrepreneur, Technologist, Lecturer