Charles Hoskinson on trusted hardware
From Interview with Charles Hoskinson of Cardano: A Secure and Scalable Blockchain · · Cryptocurrency Virtual Summit
“What if you could construct a special address that you get a guarantee that's the only copy of that address in the entire world, only lives on that phone or only lives on that laptop, and then you send some crypto to it. And then what if you want a transaction system where I can over Bluetooth move that from one trusted hardware enclave to another trusted hardware enclave, and if that movement's confirmed it destroys the address on my computer and that person I've moved it to has the only copy. Well guess what, from the blockchain's perspective no transaction has happened, you've just moved a private key from one device to another device.”
On , Charles Hoskinson, CEO at IOHK, spoke about trusted hardware during Interview with Charles Hoskinson of Cardano: A Secure and Scalable Blockchain on Cryptocurrency Virtual Summit.
About Charles Hoskinson
Charles Hoskinson, the CEO of Input Output Global and founder of Cardano and Midnight, has been active in multiple public appearances discussing blockchain governance, privacy, and the integration of cryptocurrency with artificial intelligence. In a January 2024 LinkedIn Live interview, he described blockchain technology as a "management layer" for business and a means to "preserve human rights moving into the 21st century," and argued that the ESG movement would be a key driver of blockchain adoption. In subsequent interviews throughout 2025 and 2026, Hoskinson has focused on promoting Midnight, a privacy-focused blockchain he describes as a "fourth-generation cryptocurrency." He has stated that Midnight's design includes a dual-tokenomics model and aims to provide "rational privacy" through selective disclosure, allowing users to prove properties about themselves without revealing all their data. Hoskinson has also been vocal about regulatory and governance issues. In multiple appearances, he criticized the U.S. Clarity Act, arguing that its language could be used by regulators to classify most cryptocurrencies as securities. He has expressed disappointment with Ethereum's current trajectory and contrasted Cardano's on-chain governance system, where ADA holders have a vote, with Bitcoin and Ethereum, where he says holders have "no say." He has also warned about the potential for quantum computers to break Bitcoin's encryption, stating that the threat is "coming much faster than everybody is anticipating." Additionally, Hoskinson discussed his involvement in a healthcare venture in Wyoming, Hoskinson Health, which he said he co-founded with his father and brother, and which he described as a 70,000-square-foot facility that served 22,000 patients before being shut down due to financial losses and lack of government support.