Hemi’s own Matthew Roszak appeared on the TOKEN2049 stage to talk about the future of crypto in the U.S.

At TOKEN2049, one panel stood out for cutting through the noise: “From Resistance to Leadership? America’s Role in Crypto’s Future.” Moderated by CNBC’s Dan Murphy, the session featured three longtime builders—David Marcus (Lightspark), Zooko Wilcox (Zcash), and Hemi’s own Matthew Roszak —breaking down the state of U.S. crypto policy and how it’s shaping the global landscape.

The panel opened with a blunt question: What is Washington’s crypto strategy, if any? David Marcus didn’t hold back. “I probably had the highest-profile crypto project shut down by the U.S. government,” he said, referencing his time at Meta. But he described a “180” shift under the current administration, which he sees as actively pushing for crypto infrastructure. Marcus called this moment “a rewiring of the financial system” and said the U.S. is finally stepping into a leadership role—fueled not just by regulation, but by competition with other nations.

Zooko Wilcox, founder of Zcash, took a different tack. His optimism isn’t about any administration, but about the American principle that “you can do things without asking permission.” Even when Zcash faced regulatory pressure and was placed on Binance’s monitoring list alongside obvious scams, Wilcox held firm: privacy is a utility, not a crime. “Privacy is normal,” he said. “It’s like buying an ice cream—nobody else needs to know.”

Matthew Roszak framed the last few years as a kind of Darwinian stress test for the industry. “This was a crucible,” he said. “Now we’re like a coiled spring.” He sees momentum not only in U.S. regulatory progress, like the stablecoin and market structure bills, but also in geopolitical alignment. Sovereign wealth funds, especially in the Gulf, are doubling down on crypto and AI infrastructure. That regional capital shift, he argued, will push the U.S. to compete harder—and move faster.

One key takeaway was the growing alignment between AI and crypto. Roszak put it bluntly: “Crypto is made for AI. It’s AI money.” Smart agents managing digital cash, automated governance, and on-chain infrastructure are no longer far-off speculation—they’re on the whiteboards now. The real winners will be the ones building at that intersection.

The panel wrapped with a series of predictions. Marcus thinks stablecoin and market structure legislation will be the inflection point. Wilcox called for an end to prosecutions of open-source developers like those behind Tornado Cash. Roszak offered the boldest vision: a U.S. strategic Bitcoin reserve.

“That alone could change how governments view Bitcoin—and kick off a chain reaction,” he said.