The US digital asset stockpile debate often leaps towards prioritizing cryptocurrencies developed within the country, but former Cardano executive Jerry Frasiskatos warns this limited perspective.
COO warns against a narrow geographical focus
The debate surrounding US digital asset stockpiles is often drawn to natural instincts. It is to prefer cryptocurrencies developed within its own borders. However, as Cardano’s former Chief Commercial Officer (COO) and now Jerry Frasiskatos of Apex Fusion, the risk of such a geographically narrow focus overlooks the fundamentally global nature of superior technology and blockchain.
Fragiskatos believes this is particularly appropriate as the Trump administration is actively shaping an approach to national digital asset reserves. He emphasized that while domestic innovation preferences are understandable, he is particularly aware of in strategic digital infrastructure, blockchain is very global.
“Some of the most impactful open source contributions came from a distributed team without a centralized base,” he notes, highlighting the space’s talent and innovations cross national boundaries. He argued that digital assets valuations should be based on benefits such as security, decentralization, economic design, and resilience, rather than on the land of origin. The similarity with Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), a universally accepted standard not built in a single jurisdiction, underscores the idea that effectiveness should be the ultimate arbiter.
The subtle view of the former Cardano COO is in contrast to the protectionist approach that appears to be pushed by some US-based crypto entrepreneurs. The latter approach amplifies the perception that US President Donald Trump was seen favorably by the US government after he shared a post identifying Cardano’s ADA, XRP and Solana among the cryptocurrencies included in his digital asset stockpile.
ADA inclusion in digital asset stockpiles
The Trump administration looked like a back-pedal on this after the social media post sparked controversy and insider trading allegations, but the executive order signed by Trump on March 6 provided that US digital assets stockpiles constitute cryptocurrency beyond Bitcoin confiscated by the government. The move illustrates the Trump administration’s practical approach to recognizing existing and confiscated digital assets held by the government, regardless of its origin.
This coincides with Jerry Frasiskatos’ argument for assessing assets with technical benefits, ensuring that the US focuses too narrowly on the geographical boundaries of the rapidly evolving global landscape to avoid overlooking “better technology.”
Reflecting the possibility of including ADA in Digital Asset Stockpile, Fragiskatos said such a move is an important validation for the Cardano platform, especially given that it can face criticism from other blockchain platforms. He also suggests that such decisions reflect the evolution of how public institutions value digital assets.
“This decision reflects the evolution of the way public bodies value digital assets. This is not only in terms of market capitalization and popularity, but also in the adjustment of architectural soundness and use cases. This will help set precedents to consider not only the liquidity profile but also the broader utility and social value of the protocol.
Meanwhile, in a written response to a question from Bitcoin.com News, the former Cardano COO also shared his thoughts on why many controversial blockchain interoperability remains elusive. He points to the technical hurdles for safely and reliably transferring value across various chains and data, as a possible explanation for why the blockchain landscape is still largely fragmented.
Another issue, Fragiskatos, is a fragmented relationship between the payment and application layers. He says that in ecosystems like Ethereum, the value often moves two networks or sidechains into layers, decreasing utility directly to the base layer. This dynamic leads to “fragmentation and leakage” and does not properly acquire the corresponding economic activity of the security chain.
Currently, Apex Fusion’s core contributor, Fragiskatos, concludes that authentic interoperability requires addressing this value alignment, ensuring it remains the foundation layer while allowing for seamless and secure cross-chain interactions.
Federation Multichine Architecture Emerging as the Answer
The pursuit of blockchain solutions that overcome some of the hurdles identified by Fragiskatos has borne the concept of federated multichine architecture, a system in which multiple, often independent blockchain networks are interconnected. Under such an architecture, blockchain networks communicate with each other, but interoperability is managed or facilitated by a federal or consortium of participants.
So instead of competing or replicating efforts, blockchain networks work together under a federation model that maintains security and consistency.
“The key distinction here is intention. Rather than renovating interoperability into an existing network, federated design builds it from scratch into an architecture,” Fragiskatos said.
Aside from the direct benefits that arise in blockchain networks, increased interoperability between chains could potentially launch the next phase of Web3 growth. For developers, that means they will no longer be “forced” to choose a chain and accept that limitation.
“Instead, they can configure applications that take advantage of the strengths of multiple ecosystems: robust identity from liquidity from one smart contract, one third,” explained the core contributor.
True blockchain interoperability means a much smoother experience for users. Users can benefit from fewer wallets, less transactional friction, and more options. For businesses, it means a mature Web3 landscape. Instead of a different experimental blockchain “island”, truly interoperable Web3 functions like a scalable modular operating system for all digital infrastructures.
