Cardano Founder Outlines ‘Fourth Generation’ Blockchain Vision in Paris

At Paris Blockchain Week, Cardano creator Charles Hoskinson took the stage to lay out his vision for what he sees as the next major chapter in blockchain’s evolution.

Rather than championing one platform over another, Hoskinson emphasized the need for cooperation across ecosystems, warning that continued infighting will only hinder the progress of decentralized finance.

He revealed plans for a massive multi-chain token distribution, targeting users across eight different networks including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, and Cardano itself. The initiative, involving 37 million participants, aims to bring users a taste of what’s to come in Cardano’s push toward greater interoperability.

Tracing blockchain’s roots back to early cryptographic developments and Bitcoin’s cypherpunk origins, Hoskinson argued that the industry still suffers from too much centralization and regulatory ambiguity. He believes the next phase must bridge traditional and decentralized finance by embedding privacy and compliance directly into blockchain protocols—rather than tacking them on through external services.

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One of the biggest challenges, he explained, is achieving meaningful privacy without sacrificing identity—a delicate balance necessary for integrating real-world assets into blockchain infrastructure. “You want privacy, but the right people still need to see the data,” he said, highlighting use cases like taxation and payroll.

To support this shift, he introduced Midnight, a Cardano-linked protocol designed for secure, compliant interactions across multiple blockchains. Its engine, called Minotaur, is a novel consensus system that unites proof-of-work, proof-of-stake, and other mechanisms into a shared environment. This design allows validators from different chains to help secure the system without leaving their own networks.

Hoskinson insisted that the zero-sum mentality common in the crypto world is holding innovation back. Instead of fighting over users, he called for technology that works across platforms, so people don’t have to abandon what they already use.

He ended with a stark warning: as tech giants eye the space and prepare to integrate crypto features into their products, the decentralized world must build smarter, more open systems—ones that can scale to compete without giving up their core principles.

Alexander Stefanov