Anatoly Yakovenko on Crypto's Future at TechCrunch Disrupt2 days ago7 min read1 comments

The main stage at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 is set for a defining moment in the crypto narrative, with Solana co-founder Anatoly Yakovenko stepping into the spotlight not merely to discuss the usual price speculation, but to articulate a profound vision for the technology's next chapter, a journey from the chaotic, crowd-powered frenzy of memecoins to the sober, institutional embrace of real-world finance. For those of us who have been deep in the Ethereum and DeFi trenches since the early days of smart contract experimentation, Yakovenko’s perspective is particularly resonant; he represents a parallel evolution, one that prioritized raw throughput and scalability from the outset, challenging the sometimes-plodding consensus mechanisms of older chains.His expected discourse will likely delve into how the very networks that once struggled under the weight of dog-themed tokens are now being stress-tested and refined for a far more consequential purpose: the tokenization of everything from treasury bonds and real estate to intellectual property, creating a global, frictionless financial system that operates 24/7. This isn't just a theoretical future; we're already seeing the nascent stages in projects leveraging Solana's high-speed, low-cost infrastructure for instant settlement of cross-border payments and the creation of compliant, on-chain representations of traditional assets, a space where the philosophical debates between maximalist decentralization and pragmatic scalability are being settled not on Twitter, but in the code.Yakovenko’s own journey, from a engineer at Qualcomm working on distributed systems to the visionary behind one of the world's most performant blockchains, mirrors the industry's own maturation, and his insights will undoubtedly touch on the critical intersection of robust cryptographic security, user-friendly UX, and thoughtful regulatory engagement—the holy trinity required for mass adoption. The session promises to be more than a simple keynote; it’s a strategic briefing on how the foundational layers of Web3 are being rewired to support the weight of global capital and creativity, a testament to the enduring belief, shared by many in the crypto community, that open, permissionless networks will ultimately form the backbone of a more equitable and efficient digital economy. Don't miss this crucial session; the ideas shared here will likely set the agenda for developers, investors, and policymakers for the year to come.