Blockstream CEO: The Future of Finance Runs on Bitcoin
Adam Back, CEO of Blockstream, claimed during his speech on the main stage at Paris Blockchain Week that "the future of finance runs on Bitcoin." He discussed the evolution of Bitcoin from a store of value to financial infrastructure, emphasizing that institutional demand is driving the development of issuance, settlement, and programmable financial activities.
Back's session focused on the Liquid network for asset issuance and settlement, the Simplicity smart contract, and enterprise-grade custody solutions, helping institutions shift from merely holding to actively participating in the Bitcoin ecosystem.
Source: Public Information
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Back's assertion captures the paradigm shift of Bitcoin from "digital gold" to a "settlement layer": institutions are no longer satisfied with passive holding but demand programmable infrastructure. Layer 2 solutions like Liquid and Simplicity enhance scalability and contract flexibility, essentially financializing the Bitcoin main chain and bridging traditional capital markets.
This evolution reshapes the power map of global finance: Bitcoin serves as a neutral track, avoiding the risks of centralized stablecoins while embedding enterprise-grade tools. The institutional focus at Paris Blockchain Week reflects a consensus shift from speculation to infrastructure bets.
In the long-term structure, it heralds the emergence of a "Bitcoin-native capital market": full-chain settlement from government bonds to tokenized assets will reshape clearing efficiency and sovereign boundaries. Back's vision is essentially the "bitification" of computational finance—protocols as currency, code as contracts.