Scaramucci Anticipates ‘Exponential Opportunities’ for Crypto at LONGITUDE

As the cryptocurrency landscape continues to evolve, rigorous institutional investments coupled with supportive regulations are setting the stage for a promising outlook in 2026.

Key Takeaways

Optimism from Industry Leaders: Prominent figures, including Anthony Scaramucci and Kristin Smith, shared positive predictions about the crypto industry's future, especially in the U.S.
Regulatory Challenges: Educating policymakers is critical to integrating blockchain technology into the traditional financial system.
Privacy Protocol Demand: Privacy-focused cryptocurrencies are gaining traction, highlighting the need for tailored enterprise-level solutions.
Security Concerns: Recent hacking incidents underscore the importance of security within the crypto space.

Scaramucci predicts ‘exponential opportunity’ for crypto at LONGITUDE

Optimism for 2026

At Cointelegraph’s recent LONGITUDE event, various industry leaders, including Anthony Scaramucci, Kristin Smith, Eli Ben-Sasson, Ian Rodgers, Reeve Collins, and Joseph Chalom, expressed optimism regarding the cryptocurrency industry’s direction after a transformative year.

Smith, president of the Solana Policy Institute, emphasized the significant advancements made in 2025. "There’s been a tremendous amount of progress in 2025, an unprecedented amount," she stated, noting her active involvement in crypto discussions in Washington, D.C., over the past 18 months.

Scaramucci pointed out that educating policymakers is essential for fostering acceptance of blockchain technology in the traditional financial system. He argued, "Kristin has got to go into those rooms, and she’s got to explain to these people why this regulation needs to get passed so that we can retool the financial system and make it less expensive and more seamless."

According to Scaramucci, existing traditional financial systems currently spend over $4 trillion on transaction verification globally. Transitioning to blockchain protocols like Ethereum and Solana, which lead the way in Real World Asset (RWA) tokenization and on-chain activity, could bring unmatched efficiency and cost reductions.

However, outdated regulations have hindered innovations and restricted institutions from exploring blockchain applications. Smith added, "We can do that today. It’s actually fairly easy to issue a share or a bond on a blockchain. The problem is the regulations don’t make sense when it comes to trading those assets. And so that’s a piece that we’re working on."

Scaramucci and panelists at LONGITUDE

The Rise of Privacy Protocols

Eli Ben-Sasson, co-founder of StarkWare and the Zcash protocol, engaged in a thought-provoking discussion on the rising interest in privacy protocols in the second half of 2025. Ben-Sasson noted Zcash's popularity surge, a cryptocurrency known for its privacy features, which has drawn attention from significant industry figures.

“At one extreme, you have the stuff we did at Zcash, which is resistance money level of privacy,” he explained. Although this level of privacy can be crucial for users in precarious situations, it comes at the cost of user experience. He added that offering privacy while maintaining usability is a challenge for many current wallets and applications.

As enterprises enter the crypto space, they require different privacy features, distinct from those provided by Zcash, to shield themselves and their customers from competitors. Ben-Sasson indicated that these enterprises will demand various privacy solutions tailored to their needs.

Security Concerns in 2025

Security was a major theme at LONGITUDE VII, especially in light of the numerous high-profile hacks that occurred in 2025.

Phemex CEO Federico Variola

Federico Variola, CEO of Phemex, highlighted the alarming theft of $1.6 billion in Ether from Bybit in March as a wake-up call for the industry. He stressed that social engineering and unverified access remain significant threats for everyday crypto users. "You should always be aware that you’re exposing yourself to significant risk," Variola cautioned.

Ian Rodgers, Chief Experience Officer at Ledger, emphasized that service providers must take responsibility for mitigating risks on their platforms. "There is no way to make a risk go to zero," he said. "But it is the responsibility to minimize the risk as much as possible, to think about what could go wrong here."

Excitingly, Cointelegraph’s exclusive LONGITUDE events will make a return in 2026, with sessions planned across major cities like New York, Paris, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Abu Dhabi.