Charles Hoskinson, the founder of Cardano , believes Cardano could serve as the backbone of a $30 trillion cryptocurrency future. Delivering a keynote speech at the University of Wyoming on Monday, the pundit outlined his vision for Cardano, highlighting its ability to revolutionize industries and drive unprecedented economic growth in the future. Notably, Hoskinson highlighted the explosive growth of the crypto industry since its early days. “ When I started, nobody cared,” he noted , adding that at the time when Bitcoin was so undervalued that “ the fifth prize([in a Starcraft tournament) was 25 Bitcoin, and nobody wanted to be fifth prize.” Fast forward to 2025, and the landscape has changed dramatically. Hoskinson believes the industry is poised for monumental expansion with the U.S. electing a president keen on cryptocurrencies like ADA . According to Hoskinson, a key component of this growth is the tokenization of real-world assets such as intellectual property, real estate, and securities. Hoskinson underscored the importance of universal standards for tokenized assets, stating that their adoption could greatly accelerate crypto market growth. Recall that in October 2024 Cardano enabled Argentina’s first legally enforceable smart contract. This achievement marked a breakthrough in blockchain integration and demonstrated how smart contracts could revolutionize legal agreements, including rental contracts. He further cited projections from industry leaders like CitiGroup and Chase, predicting that the market, currently valued at around $2 trillion, could expand to between $10 trillion and $20 trillion within the next decade. However, he believes it could soar as high as $30 trillion with the right infrastructure and standards, emphasizing its potential to generate millions of jobs and transform the global economy. Cardano is also actively working to unlock significant value in the crypto space, particularly with Bitcoin . During a recent podcast, Hoskinson pointed out that while Bitcoin has a massive market capitalization, it lacks meaningful total value locked (TVL) in decentralized finance (DeFi). He suggested that Cardano’s unique infrastructure, including features like Babel fees, could enable Bitcoin holders to access DeFi opportunities without leaving the Bitcoin ecosystem. Moreover, to illustrate Cardano’s real-world applications, Hoskinson conducted a live demonstration of a programmable token on the Cardano mainnet during his speech. This token showcased “freeze and seize” capabilities, which he described as valuable for financial use cases such as stablecoins and digital rental agreements. Beyond financial innovation, Hoskinson argued that blockchain technology could address critical societal challenges, including election security, supply chain transparency, and fiscal accountability. He proposed placing the U.S. federal budget on a blockchain to enhance transparency and reduce inefficiencies. That said, he also praised Wyoming’s forward-thinking approach, highlighting the state’s 40 blockchain-related laws that have attracted major industry players like Kraken, which reported $1.5 billion in annual revenue. “That’s how you grow your way out of it,” Hoskinson asserted, advocating for innovation to strengthen economic stability and reduce dependence on traditional financial systems.
