Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson has predicted that Bitcoin (BTC) will soar to $1 million per coin, cementing its position as “the only true hard money.”
Speaking on the sidelines of the Bitcoin 2025 Conference, Austin, Texas, last week, Hoskinson outlined a bold new vision for Bitcoin’s role in decentralized finance (DeFi), highlighting a future in which BTC not only serves as a store of value but also powers a vast, scalable financial ecosystem.
“In the next few years, Bitcoin could grow to $500,000 or even a million per coin,” Hoskinson said. “We’re talking about a $10 trillion ecosystem, comparable to gold. But unlike gold, Bitcoin can move, earn yield, and power new systems. That’s the difference.”
Notbaly, the session brought together key teams from Input Output, Lace, Fairgate, Babylon, and others, who showcased pioneering cross-chain integrations. The centerpiece was a live demonstration of a seamless on-chain transaction between Bitcoin and Cardano within the Lace wallet, a technical milestone that enables Bitcoin to interact with DeFi protocols without centralized intermediaries.
Hoskinson emphasized that the infrastructure being built is designed not only for Bitcoin, but also for its forks like Litecoin and Dogecoin. Central to this innovation is BitVMX, a groundbreaking virtual machine developed on the open-source RISC-V instruction set. BitVMX allows smart contracts, traditionally limited to networks like Ethereum and Cardano, to run on Bitcoin’s base layer using zero-knowledge proofs and off-chain computation.
“This isn’t about replacing Bitcoin,” he noted. “It’s about expanding what Bitcoin can do while preserving its core values, decentralization, immutability, and user sovereignty.”
In a follow-up interview published Wednesday, Hoskinson likened the user experience of Bitcoin DeFi to a toggle in a wallet.
“You turn DeFi mode on, and suddenly you can lend, borrow, swap-all while paying fees in Bitcoin and maintaining custody. When you’re done, turn it off. Your BTC goes back where it came from.”
He further stressed that the underlying technology may be complex, but the user experience is designed to be intuitive and straightforward. Trustless bridges, smart contracts on Cardano, and BitVMX’s taproot-based execution model all work under the hood to ensure security and transparency.
Hoskinson concluded by reaffirming his long-standing belief in Bitcoin’s foundational role in crypto.
“There is only one god in this space, and it’s Bitcoin. What we’re doing now is giving it the ecosystem it deserves.” He added.
BTC traded at $101,966 at press time, reflecting a 2.92% drop in the past 24 hours.
