Former Coinbase CTO Balaji Srinivasan has revealed that a new era in cryptocurrency may be underway. In a recent video, Srinivasan outlined three distinct eras of cryptocurrencies: the 2009-2017 era focused on proving that Bitcoin could work; the 2017-2025 period centered around demonstrating programmability and scalability; and from 2025 onwards, the dawn of the privacy era.
### The Three Eras of Cryptocurrency
Srinivasan explains that the first eight years of crypto were primarily about establishing Bitcoin’s viability. The subsequent eight years have been dedicated to showing that programmability—including scalable on-chain smart contracts—is feasible. According to him, a significant portion of the original vision has already been realized and is actively being used in developing countries.
Regarding programmability, Srinivasan noted that this capability is far from complete. While scalable on-chain smart contracts now support large user bases and transaction volumes with finality, there are still challenges to overcome, such as Layer 2 solutions (L2s) and other scaling issues.
### Looking Ahead: The Age of Privacy
The former Coinbase CTO emphasized that the storyline of programmability is mature, but not finished. However, he believes the next eight years—2025 to 2030—will be dominated by privacy. This new era will prioritize privacy-centric features, fundamentally shaping the future narrative of cryptocurrencies.
### Privacy: The Next Big Thing?
Supporting this perspective, Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson recently highlighted privacy as potentially the next “big thing” in crypto. He suggested that privacy could become the main narrative driving value appreciation in the current cycle. In contrast, “Ethereum killers” like Solana represented the last market cycle’s focus.
Hoskinson explained that every crypto season has its unique characteristic, and privacy is now gaining momentum due to the increasing need to bridge legacy financial systems with decentralized finance (DeFi).
### Progress in Privacy-Focused Blockchains
Progress is already evident among privacy-focused blockchains such as Midnight and zkSync. These projects are pushing innovations that aim to enhance user privacy and security while supporting broader financial interoperability.
### Conclusion
As the cryptocurrency landscape evolves, privacy is set to take center stage alongside the ongoing development of scalability and programmability. With industry leaders like Balaji Srinivasan and Charles Hoskinson highlighting this shift, the upcoming years promise exciting advancements in how privacy shapes the decentralized future.
https://bitcoinethereumnews.com/crypto/ex-coinbase-cto-balaji-srinivasan-hints-at-new-crypto-era-in-play-details/