The strategic crypto reserve will fuel ecosystem growth
Opinion by: Tim Haldorsson, founder of Lunar Strategy
When US President Donald Trump announced the US strategic crypto reserve on March 2, the immediate focus fell on the price surges of the included coins. Behind the market excitement lies a much bigger story that extends far beyond the named assets themselves.
The real opportunity lies not in holding Bitcoin (BTC), Ether (ETH), XRP (XRP), Solana (SOL) and Cardano (ADA) — it’s in building on these newly legitimized platforms.
This government endorsement creates fertile ground for an entire ecosystem of projects, unleashing innovation across multiple sectors while creating investment opportunities that could define the next wave of blockchain adoption.
Projects on legitimized platforms are ready for growth
The strategic reserve announcement fundamentally changed the risk profile for projects building on these networks. Developers quietly building on Ethereum, Solana and Cardano now find themselves on government-approved foundations. This validation removes significant uncertainty — a crucial factor for attracting users and capital.
When a nation plans to hold these assets in reserve, it signals a long-term commitment to their viability. For projects building on these networks, this increases confidence that their underlying platform won’t face existential regulatory threats. Infrastructure projects particularly stand to benefit; layer-2 scaling solutions for Ethereum, developer tooling for Solana and interoperability solutions for Cardano can now operate with greater certainty about their foundation’s future.
The early evidence already supports this shift. After the announcement, Cardano’s ecosystem saw renewed attention, with significant whale accumulation and increased trading volume across its decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols. Projects such as Minswap and Liqwid Finance experienced growing interest as users gained confidence in the network’s long-term viability. Ethereum and Solana ecosystems are seeing similar effects, with capital flowing to projects that leverage their unique strengths.
Gaining investor attention
Not all projects will benefit equally from this validation. Specific sectors are positioned to capture disproportionate growth as retail and institutional investors recalibrate their approach to these now-endorsed chains.
DeFi applications stand out as immediate beneficiaries. With multiple networks now government-backed, crosschain DeFi protocols that facilitate liquidity between Ethereum, Solana and Cardano are seeing renewed interest. The government’s implicit endorsement of multiple chains reinforces the vision of a multichain future rather than a winner-take-all scenario.
Infrastructure projects that connect these networks will also thrive. Crosschain bridges, already vital for a fragmented blockchain landscape, become even more critical when multiple networks have official backing. Projects building on identity solutions could also see significant interest — these government-approved networks make ideal foundations for digital identity systems requiring trust and stability.
Recent: Does XRP, SOL or ADA belong in a US crypto reserve?
Finally, the blockchain gaming sector, which had already shown strong growth with 7.4 million daily active wallets by the end of 2024, could accelerate as developers flock to these legitimized platforms. Games built on Solana’s speed or Cardano’s security can point to government endorsement as a credibility booster when seeking partners or users.
Assessing project potential through key metrics
For investors looking to capitalize on this ecosystem growth, several key metrics separate promising projects from mere speculation.
Total value locked (TVL) provides a window into genuine usage and trust. Projects showing significant TVL growth after the announcement demonstrate real traction. Developer activity remains another critical indicator: Ethereum remains the most important developer ecosystem, with thousands of active monthly contributors. At the same time, Solana experienced the fastest developer growth in 2024, particularly in emerging markets like India.
User adoption metrics tell an equally important story. Daily active wallets, transaction volumes and community growth reveal whether a project captures actual market share or generates hype. Strong partnerships also signal project strength — those securing collaborations with established institutions gain credibility and distribution channels.
The most promising projects combine these metrics with robust security measures and regulatory compliance — increasingly important factors now that these networks have government attention. Projects anticipating and addressing compliance requirements position themselves to benefit from institutional adoption.
The venture capital shift
Historically, government endorsements have led to increased institutional investment. The strategic reserve announcement could recalibrate how venture capital flows through the crypto ecosystem if this pattern holds. Venture capitalists, who were previously cautious about regulatory uncertainty, now have more precise signals about what networks have an unofficial blessing.
We may see venture firms double down on projects building on Ethereum, Solana and Cardano at the expense of alternative chains. New dedicated funds focusing specifically on government-endorsed networks could emerge, similar to how funds reorient around policy shifts in other sectors.
This shift extends beyond where capital flows and influences what types of projects are funded. Compliance-focused startups, infrastructure plays and enterprise-ready applications will attract more attention than purely speculative projects. VCs will increasingly favor teams that understand how to navigate the intersection of innovation and regulation.
For startups, this creates both opportunity and challenge. Building on these endorsed networks offers a more straightforward path to funding, but expectations around compliance and security will rise accordingly. The days of raising millions on concepts alone are giving way to the demand for solid execution and regulatory awareness.
Interoperability becomes critical
With multiple chains now part of the strategic reserve, interoperability solutions take center stage. Projects enabling seamless movement between Ethereum, Solana and Cardano stand to benefit tremendously from this new multichain reality.
Crosschain bridges like Wormhole, initially connecting Ethereum and Solana, will likely expand to include Cardano as the demand for connectivity between all endorsed networks grows.
Protocols facilitating crosschain governance or identity will similarly find increased relevance as assets and users flow between networks.
The government’s endorsement of multiple chains effectively validates the multichain thesis — that different networks serve different use cases rather than one blockchain dominating all activity. This creates space for infrastructure that connects these specialized systems into a cohesive whole.
The growth timeline
The effects of this government endorsement will unfold over multiple time horizons — the immediate price rallies and attention spikes we’ve already witnessed. The more substantial ecosystem growth will develop over months and years.
Expect new project announcements and funding rounds in the next three to six months, explicitly citing the strategic reserve to validate their approach. Development activity on these networks will accelerate as previously hesitant teams about regulatory risk jump in.
Within a year, we’ll likely see the first major institutional products built on these networks launch with formal regulatory approval. The venture funding deployed now will begin producing tangible applications across DeFi, identity, gaming and enterprise sectors.
By the two-to-three-year mark, if historical patterns from other government-validated technologies hold, these blockchain ecosystems could become mainstream infrastructure, extending far beyond their current use cases. As the internet grew from a government project to a commercial ecosystem, these networks could evolve from reserve assets to fundamental digital infrastructure.
The strategic reserve announcement might begin a new phase of worldwide blockchain adoption for investors, developers and users.
Opinion by: Tim Haldorsson, founder of Lunar Strategy.
This article is for general information purposes and is not intended to be and should not be taken as legal or investment advice. The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed here are the author’s alone and do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Cointelegraph.
Multiple mistaken prisoner releases could actually be an “opportunity” for David Lammy, Harriet Harman has said.
Speaking to Sky News’ Electoral Dysfunction podcast with political editor Beth Rigby, the Labour peer said the release errors are a chance for the justice secretary to “roll up his sleeves” and sort out his department.
It emerged on Wednesday that two prisoners were wrongly freed from HMP Wandsworth last week. It follows the high-profile release of migrant sex offender Hadush Kebatu from HMP Chelmsford.
Baroness Harman said this has “shone a spotlight on a systemic problem which needs to be sorted out”.
Rather than become a “ding dong” between Labour and the Tories, she said: “I think ironically it’s a bit of an opportunity for him [Lammy] to actually be able to roll up his sleeves and insist the department gets the resources and the focus it needs to sort out this problem, which is not a new problem.”
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What’s wrong with our prisons?
She added that figures showing 262 prisoners were mistakenly released in the 12 months to March 2025 is “five a week, more or less being let out early” and “we don’t even know that is the full extent”.
Mr Lammy, who is also the deputy prime minister, is under fire over his handling of the saga.
He stood in for Sir Keir Starmer at PMQs on Wednesday when he refused to answer whether any more asylum seekers had been wrongly released since Kebatu, an Ethiopian national, who was later deported.
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Lammy says he didn’t want to ‘mislead’ the Commons or public
As PMQs was ending, the story broke that Algerian sex offender Brahim Kaddour-Cherif had been released in error. It has since emerged that Mr Lammy was made aware of this overnight on Tuesday.
He has defended not revealing that he knew about the incident, saying he did not have the full details and did not want to mislead the public.
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Mr Lammy is also being criticised as following Kebatu’s mistaken release, he promised on 27 October that stronger prison checks would be introduced immediately.
Brahim Kaddour-Cherif and William Smith
Pic: Met Police/Surrey Police
But Kaddour-Cherif was released in error two days later, on 29 October, while another prisoner, William “Billy” Smith, was mistakenly released on Monday.
Smith handed himself in on Thursday, while Kaddour-Cherif is still on the run.
Sir Keir Starmer has said David Lammy “set out the facts” on mistaken prisoner releases “to the best of his knowledge” amid questions over what the justice secretary knew and when.
Speaking for the first time since it emerged two prisoners were wrongly freed from HMP Wandsworth, the prime minister also said the situation was “intolerable” and that he was “angry and frustrated”.
The Met Police announced on Wednesday afternoon that registered sex offender Brahim Kaddour-Cherif, an Algerian national, had been released in error on 29 October. He is still at large.
A few hours later it was revealed another prisoner, 35-year-old William “Billy” Smith, had been wrongly released on Monday – the same day he was convicted for multiple fraud offences and handed a 45-month jail term. He has since handed himself in.
Asked how the public can have confidence in the justice system, Sir Keir said: “Let me just say how angry and frustrated I am that these mistakes have been made in releasing people. They’re intolerable, and they shouldn’t be made.
“A lot of it comes from the burden and the strain on the system because of the failures of the last government. But I recognise it’s our job to step up and to fix this.”
Sir Keir went on to defend Mr Lammy’s handing of the saga, which comes a week on from the mistaken release of Ethiopian sex offender Hadush Kebatu, who has since been deported.
Mr Lammy declared on 27 October that stronger prison checks in light of the Kebatu fiasco would come into force immediately.
But on Thursday, he said those checks were not in place when Kaddour-Cherif was released two days later.
Asked whether he was being truthful last week or on Thursday, Sir Keir said: “David Lammy can speak for himself on that.
“I’m absolutely clear that he’s setting out the facts, to the best of his knowledge and that’s the right thing for him to do.
“But whatever the checks, it’s intolerable. So, we have to make sure that whatever changes are needed are made.”
Government sources have said the mistakes that triggered the release of Kaddour-Cherif happened at the end of September, before the new regime was put in place.
Meanwhile on Thursday night, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) announced the rollout of “cutting-edge technology to more prisons” in order to reduce human error and modernise “the archaic processes that have led to mistakes”.
“These measures will build on the tough new checks that were brought in last month, and ensure governor oversight of all releases,” the MoJ said.
Mr Lammy, who is also the deputy prime minister, is facing further criticism for failing to reveal that he knew of Kaddour-Cherif’s release during PMQs on Wednesday, when he was filing in for Sir Keir who is at the COP summit in Brazil.
He was asked repeatedly by Tory leader Kemi Badenoch whether any more asylum seekers had been wrongly released since Kebatu and refused to answer the question. The news broke at the end of PMQs.
On Thursday, Mr Lammy said he did not have all the details in the morning and did not want to mislead the public.
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Lammy: didn’t want to mislead House on prisoner release
He told broadcasters: “I took the judgment that it is important when updating the House and the country about serious matters like this, that you have all of the details.
“I was not equipped with all of the detail, and the danger is that you end up misleading the House and the general public.
“So that is the judgment I took. I think it’s the right judgment.”
But shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick said: “David Lammy has either lied or has absolutely no clue what’s going on in his department.
“How can the public have confidence in the justice secretary when he can’t establish a timeline of events or answer basic questions?”
Kaddour-Cherif was serving a sentence at HMP Wandsworth for trespass with intent to steal, but had previously been convicted for indecent exposure.
It is understood he is not an asylum seeker but is in the process of being deported after he overstayed his visa.
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