Charles Hoskinson Outlines the Future of Blockchain in Paris Blockchain Week Keynote

Charles Hoskinson, the founder of Cardano, gave a strong message about where blockchain is headed during his keynote at the ongoing Paris Blockchain Week.

The blockchain industry is entering its fourth stage, shifting from early Bitcoin endeavors and smart contract integration to tackling real-world challenges at scale, according to Charles Hoskinson, the founder of Cardano.

During his keynote at the ongoing Paris Blockchain Week, Hoskinson delivered a strong message about where blockchain is headed. Speaking to a packed audience, he urged the industry to move past old habits and focus on lasting value that serves everyday people, not only tech insiders or early adopters.

4th Generation of Blockchain Innovation: A New Stage of Tech Integration

The first generation was about Bitcoin and decentralization, while the second brought smart contracts and the third focused on how fast and large systems could grow. Now, this fourth phase must tackle the key challenges at hand.

“We can't have a system where only people who understand code or finance can use it. It needs to be reliable, and usable by billions, and that's what Cardano is trying to do with its research-driven model,” he said.

To highlight this goal, Hoskinson linked it to the recent airdrop on the Midnight sidechain, which could potentially involve 37 million users.

It is important to add that Hoskinson believes some platforms may not survive the next blockchain iteration. For example, CoinGape reported earlier that Hoskinson predicted that Ethereum may crash in the next 15 years. According to him, the technology is becoming outdated and is not built for long-term use.

However, some market participants think differently, as Ethereum is set to launch its Pectra upgrade on May 7. The upgrade is expected to drive significant development across the blockchain network.

Charles Hoskinson on Privacy, Decentralization and Interoperability

It is worth mentioning that more people are beginning to use blockchain in everyday settings like healthcare or shopping. The Cardano founder believes that privacy and identity protection will become more critical.

He also pointed out that blockchains need to connect, especially in the supply chain and logistics industries.

The absence of standard rules and security issues remains key challenges to overcome. However, Hoskinson said those are necessary hurdles in building a stronger future.

“We need to get the bad actors out of the ecosystem and create a crypto-economic system that is designed to last for centuries,” he added.

Merging TradFi and DeFi: The New Focus

At the event, Charles Hoskinson also mentioned that traditional and decentralized finance must stop acting like rivals. Instead, he proposed they merge into what he simply calls “Fi”.

According to him, this model could help blockchain earn public trust while following real-world rules.

Earlier, CoinGape reported that Hoskinson believes the future of finance is already taking place. For example, Cardano recently outperformed several top S&P 500 companies, and some analysts predict that ADA could reach $10.

If such outcomes materialize, investor focus may shift unless TradFi and DeFi innovations harmonize effectively.

As of writing, data from CoinMarketCap shows Cardano (ADA) trading at $0.6856, down 3.69% in the past 24 hours.