From the earliest days of Bitcoin’s white paper to the rise of programmable blockchains, the question has always been: What’s next for digital money? Today, one of the most compelling voices on that question is Anatoly Yakovenko, the Future of Money evangelist through the lens of Solana. As the co-founder and visionary leader behind Solana, Yakovenko’s recent remarks during All-In Summit 2025 (captured in the video “Solana’s Anatoly Yakovenko on Crypto’s Next Era: Quantum, AI, and the Future of Money”) shed light on how quantum computing, artificial intelligence, stablecoins, and tokenization might reshape finance.
In this 2025-era landscape, Yakovenko advances a provocative thesis: that the Internet itself may soon become the largest holder of US Treasuries; that Bitcoin must adopt quantum-resistance or risk existential threats; and that new crypto verticals – creator economies, IP rights, real estate, decentralized social networks – are the frontier beyond pure finance.
1. Why This Moment Matters (The Problem & Landscape)
Crypto under Trump vs Biden, stablecoin boom, and Treasury ramifications
Yakovenko opens the discussion by contrasting the regulatory environments under prior SEC chair Gensler and the incoming direction under the Trump administration’s crypto priorities. He credits the new leadership for unlocking momentum in stablecoins and tokenized assets, estimating that $1–10 trillion in stablecoins could eventually circulate on public, permissionless chains. Podcasts
One bold forecast: within five years, the Internet may become the largest holder of U.S. Treasuries, because tokenized stablecoins could absorb vast capital flows. Podcasts – Your Podcast Transcripts
This raises two urgent questions:
- How does traditional finance interface with crypto at scale?
- What are the systemic implications for U.S. macro, interest rates, and capital flows?
Execution layer vs settlement layer: the Solana proposition
Yakovenko frames Solana not as a settlement layer like Ethereum, but as an execution layer optimized for instantaneous transaction processing. He likens the challenge to physics: money and asset velocity must move at near the speed of light. He aims for ~120 milliseconds of global settlement latency. Podcasts – Your Podcast Transcripts
He argues Ethereum’s strength lies in robust security and settlement, but Solana’s differentiator is high-frequency, low-latency execution for mass market use. The architecture, in his vision, is meant to support real-world assets, microtransactions, and high throughput.
Why this moment is critical
Because we are at an inflection point:
- Regulation is loosening (or at least reinterpreted)
- Technology (AI, quantum) is accelerating
- Demand for real-world tokenization (IP, real estate, creator economy) is rising
Without a coherent strategy, incumbents may be disrupted – or co-opted. Yakovenko’s urgency is palpable: this isn’t a speculative future, it’s the battleground now.
2. Exploring Key Themes & Strategic Opportunities
Below, we explore the major thematic zones from Yakovenko’s talk, injecting strategic insight, risks, and roadmap suggestions.
2.1 Traditional Exchanges vs Crypto-native Exchanges (and mass adoption)
Yakovenko contrasts regulated exchanges that merely overlay blockchain technology (wrapping traditional assets) with crypto-native exchanges that are built from first principles. He sees true scalability and adoption emerging where platforms treat the blockchain as an execution substrate – not just an appendage. Podcasts – Your Podcast Transcripts
Strategic insight: The winners will not be those who layer blockchain onto legacy rails, but those that rearchitect value flows (settlement, custody, compliance) for permissionless, open infrastructure. Tokenization of equities, bonds, and real assets is only the start; the deeper value lies in composability, cross-chain routing, and permissionless innovation.
Use cases that accelerate adoption:
- On-chain order books & execution venues
- Cross-chain liquidity routing (atomic swaps, rollups)
- Permissionless custody and programmable flows for institutional actors
2.2 Vertical expansion: Beyond finance
One of Yakovenko’s more visionary points is that finance is only the beachhead. The next wave is monetization of social, IP rights, real estate, powered by tokenization, governance layers, and creator-led economies.
He references the Clarity Act, which aims to reduce legal friction launching tokens in the U.S. – a key enabler for creators and founders. He notes it cost him ~$2 million in legal fees to launch a token, a barrier he deems excessive.
Key verticals to watch:
- Decentralized social media & content monetization (creator tokens, tipping)
- Digital rights & IP as tokenized fractional ownership
- Real estate & infrastructure on-chain (fractional property, tokenized REITS)
- Decentralized identity, credentials, and supply chain provenance
2.3 Quantum computing & AI’s impact on crypto
This is arguably the most profound pivot Yakovenko introduces. He projects a 50/50 chance of a major quantum computing breakthrough within five years, driven by the convergence and speed of AI innovation. Cointelegraph
Such a breakthrough would threaten ECDSA / elliptic-curve cryptography, the bedrock of Bitcoin, Ethereum, and many blockchains. Yakovenko argues for urgent migration to quantum-resistant signature schemes, and encourages the community not to wait until the threat becomes obvious. Podcasts – Your Podcast Transcripts
On AI, he sees synergy:
- AI accelerates cryptographic research
- AI-enabled agents may interact autonomously with token economies
- Distributed compute + token incentives may spawn new paradigms
From a strategy view:
- Projects should begin post-quantum audits
- Consider hybrid cryptographic stacks (quantum-safe fallback)
- Start R&D partnerships with quantum and AI institutions
- Identify areas where AI + blockchain co-design yields defensibility
2.4 Bitcoin, Ethereum, and the incumbents
Yakovenko reserves considerable time for analyzing the established narratives.
Bitcoin: resilience, centralization, and quantum risk
He sees Bitcoin’s simplicity and proof-of-work design as its greatest defenses. But while Bitcoin’s security model is elegant, it may not be flexible enough to adapt to existential threats like quantum computing without hard forks.
He warns that concentration of Bitcoin holdings (e.g. by large corporates) could create vulnerabilities, but maintains that so long as open global competition remains, Bitcoin’s core value will survive.
Yet making changes to Bitcoin is politically fraught; any migration to quantum-resistant cryptography would demand broad consensus – a high hurdle. CoinDesk
Ethereum, Visa / Mastercard: co-option or competition?
Yakovenko praises Ethereum’s robustness and acknowledges Vitalik Buterin’s engineering brilliance, but positions Ethereum as settlement infrastructure, not ideal for high-throughput execution. He suggests Ethereum and Solana can be complementary.
As for Visa/Mastercard, he speculates they may pivot into stablecoin rails more nimbly than banks, perhaps removing intermediaries altogether. In his model, the card networks become settlement layers within tokenized flows.
From a strategic vantage:
- Ethereum-based L2s and rollups should seek interoperability with Solana
- Legacy payment processors may face existential reinvention
- Co-opting incumbents or positioning as rails underneath them could be viable
3. Expert Takeaways, Strategic Roadmap & Call to Action
Expert Takeaways
- Quantum is not distant fiction – Yakovenko places it in the 5-year horizon. Treat it as a security priority, not optional.
- AI – the speed multiplier – breakthroughs in AI will shorten the runway for crypto evolution.
- Tokenization will outstrip DeFi – the real disruptions lie in social, IP, real assets, identity.
- Regulation is the gating factor – clarity laws, compliance frameworks (e.g. Clarity Act), and policy will govern adoption.
- Interoperability is paramount – networks that unify execution, settlement, and composability will dominate.
Strategic Roadmap for Builders & Investors
| Time Horizon | Focus Area | Recommended Actions |
|---|---|---|
| 0–12 months | Security & architecture | Start post-quantum cryptographic audits, sponsor research into hybrid key schemes |
| 6–24 months | Vertical product incubation | Pilot social / creator token models, fractional real-estate, IP rights platforms |
| 12–36 months | Regulation & compliance | Engage in U.S. policy (Clarity Act, token launch frameworks), build legal partnerships |
| 18–36 months | Cross-chain & composability | Develop bridges, liquidity routers between Ethereum, Solana, and emerging L1/L2s |
| 2–5 years | Systemic rebalancing | Monitor quantum advances, lead migration efforts; evaluate partnerships with payment incumbents |
Call to Action & Market Positioning
- If you’re a developer or protocol designer, audit your cryptography stack now.
- If you’re a founder or product leader, think beyond financial primitives – build in IP, content, real assets.
- If you’re an institutional investor, allocate capital toward quantum-ready infrastructure, tokenized real-world assets, and cross-chain bridges.
- For policy actors, advocate for legal clarity (token frameworks, crypto regulation) to reduce friction (e.g. legal costs Yakovenko cited).
As Yakovenko says: “We should migrate Bitcoin to a quantum-resistant signature scheme… watch where Google’s going.” That urgency applies broadly across the crypto stack.
People Also Asked (Long-tail FAQs)
Q1: Who is Anatoly Yakovenko and why is he important in crypto?
A: Anatoly Yakovenko is the co-founder and CEO of Solana Labs. He’s recognized for architecting high-speed, low-latency blockchain infrastructure and driving the narrative around the next era of money – integrating quantum computing, AI, stablecoins, and tokenization.
Q2: What did Yakovenko say about crypto under Trump vs Biden?
A: Yakovenko contrasted the regulatory regimes: under Gensler his view is the industry would have struggled; under the new crypto-aligned policy era, he sees stablecoins and tokenized finance as unblocked, estimating $1–10 trillion of stable assets could flow into public chains.
Q3: How does Yakovenko view traditional exchanges vs crypto-native exchanges?
A: He argues that simply layering blockchain over traditional exchanges is insufficient. Mass market adoption will come through crypto-native platforms that treat the chain as the execution layer – embedding settlement, custody, and compliance into core protocol design.
Q4: What crypto verticals outside of finance excite Yakovenko?
A: Yakovenko highlights social platforms with token economies, fractional IP/rights ownership, real estate on-chain, creator monetization, and decentralized identity systems, all facilitated by clearer token regulations (e.g., the CLARITY Act).
Q5: What’s Yakovenko’s view on quantum computing and its impact on crypto?
A: He estimates ~50% chance of a disruptive quantum breakthrough in five years, urging immediate migration to quantum-resistant cryptography. He sees AI accelerating that timeline by turning theoretical advances into real systems faster.
Q6: What does Yakovenko say about Bitcoin and Ethereum’s future?
A: Yakovenko sees Bitcoin as resilient but risk-averse to upgrades. He suggests it must evolve to defend against quantum threats. As for Ethereum, Yakovenko respects its settlement strengths but views Solana as the execution layer complement. He foresees Visa/MasterCard potentially shifting to stablecoin rails.
When we think of Anatoly Yakovenko, the Future of Money, we must see him not merely as a blockchain technologist, but as a crypto futurist. His thesis is bold:
- The Internet may become the world’s largest treasury holder
- Quantum computing could upend foundational cryptography
- AI accelerates adoption and protocol evolution
- Crypto’s frontier extends beyond finance into social, IP, and real assets
- Bitcoin, Ethereum, and incumbents must adapt or risk displacement
In 2025’s fast-moving landscape, these are not speculative dreams – they’re strategic imperatives.
If you’re a founder, engineer, investor, or policymaker, here’s your challenge: don’t wait for quantum or regulation to force change. Start now – build quantum-resilient infrastructure, explore novel verticals, advocate for clarity, and form bridges across networks. The next era of money is being written today.
“We should migrate Bitcoin to a quantum-resistant signature scheme… watch where Google’s going.” – Anatoly Yakovenko
