Hoskinson Says Cardano Will Have 10M Users by 2030, Privacy Is Next 100x Opportunity

Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson shared his vision for the blockchain’s future in a recent podcast with Sujal Jethwani. The discussion covered adoption projections, privacy technology opportunities, and policy considerations affecting the cryptocurrency industry.

Hoskinson shared his expectations for Cardano by 2030 and stated the network will likely have more than 10 million users. He noted that the blockchain has completed its governance and full decentralization phases, positioning it for recursive improvement and adoption growth.

The founder identified computational privacy as a major opportunity in cryptocurrency. “I think there’s a 10x to 100x opportunity in the computational privacy side,” Hoskinson stated. He explained that programmable privacy technologies are necessary to bring real-world assets and institutional players into the space.

According to Hoskinson, approximately $10 trillion in real-world assets want to enter cryptocurrency but cannot do so on current platforms like Ethereum, Bitcoin, or without privacy capabilities. He highlighted technologies like Midnight as critical for enabling this institutional adoption.

On blockchain durability, Hoskinson praised Solana’s resilience following the FTX collapse. “They have been able to improve their technology and recover from a catastrophic event,” he said. The network’s ability to ride meme coin adoption and build a strong DeFi ecosystem demonstrated the creativity needed for long-term survival.

Hoskinson discussed India as a major market for Cardano and noted the country’s role as a producer of technical talent. “India is one of the biggest producers of cheap, smart people,” he stated, referring to institutions like IIT. However, he criticized the country’s 1% transaction tax as a barrier to becoming the largest crypto market globally.

On U.S. immigration policy, Hoskinson addressed H-1B visa concerns. He noted that large companies have historically imported talent from India and China at lower salaries, paying $60,000 to $80,000 instead of $300,000 for domestic employees. With AI reducing the need for large engineering teams, he expects the visa policy to evolve.

The founder emphasized the importance of decentralization principles, criticizing projects that give 70% of the token supply to teams and venture capitalists. “Satoshi gave everything away,” he noted, contrasting this approach with recent projects. Hoskinson highlighted Midnight’s airdrop model as aligned with cryptocurrency’s original values.

For newcomers, Hoskinson advised patience. “You can make a billion dollars in 2026,” he stated, emphasizing that opportunities persist across market cycles. He recommended contributing to open-source projects rather than applying for jobs to show skills and build relationships within the industry.