Solana Co-Founder Yakovenko Credits Agentic AI Coding Amid $2.85B Crypto Revenue

Anatoly Yakovenko, co-founder of Solana, discussed his growing reliance on agent-based AI tools like Claude at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025, describing AI as a “great force multiplier” that allows him to oversee rather than directly code software development tasks. He emphasized monitoring AI output closely to ensure quality, highlighting how agentic coding enables experienced engineers to focus on higher-level decisions by automating routine programming work. Yakovenko also shared that Solana achieved $2.85 billion in annual revenue in 2025, driven largely by cryptocurrency trading, and noted the launch of Solana's first exchange-traded fund by Bitwise, which attracted nearly $70 million on its first day. He attributed Solana's progress to increasing acceptance of cryptocurrency in traditional finance, where professionals quickly understand crypto due to their daily handling of settlement and banking risks. However, Yakovenko acknowledged ongoing criticism of cryptocurrency facilitating public bribery, pointing to the Solana-hosted Trumpcoin, which critics claim funneled $350 million to President Trump. Despite this, he highlighted Solana’s nature as an open protocol, limiting his control over the coins it supports while underscoring AI’s transformative impact on software engineering within blockchain ecosystems.