Lightspark CEO: In Ten Years, Bitcoin Will Be as Invisible as TCP/IP, Yet Power Trillions in Daily Transactions
A decade from now, Bitcoin will function like TCP/IP — invisible yet foundational, supporting trillions in daily transactions globally, according to Lightspark CEO David Marcus. In this future, a coffee shop in Lagos receives instant payment, a manufacturer in São Paulo settles an invoice with a supplier in Ho Chi Minh City, and a freelancer in Bangalore gets paid weekly from an Austin startup — all via Bitcoin's settlement layer, with none of the parties consciously interacting with it.
This vision parallels the adoption of open protocols: first driven by necessity where existing systems fail, then scaling rapidly as tools mature and economic benefits become clear. The structural shift begins with wallets. Modern non-custodial wallets, like Spark, allow users to hold dollars, local currency, and Bitcoin in a single address, seamlessly switching between them. This eliminates friction and revolutionizes global custody, moving significant deposits to user-controlled keys not by ideology, but by superior utility. As a result, Bitcoin becomes the default savings layer for billions, as its fixed supply and appreciating value make it a rational choice for savers holding it alongside stablecoins in their everyday wallets.
Businesses follow a similar path, from small companies in emerging markets to multinational corporations, holding Bitcoin alongside operational stablecoins. The latest trend is direct Bitcoin transactions for commerce. When both parties hold Bitcoin, transacting in it becomes the simplest option — no conversions, no intermediary currency. This starts in niche areas like high-value B2B settlements but grows as infrastructure makes sending Bitcoin as easy as stablecoins.
An accelerating force is AI agents. By 2036, AI agents conducting commerce on behalf of individuals and firms will increasingly choose Bitcoin for settlement. Optimizing for speed, finality, and minimal counterparty risk across jurisdictions, they find Bitcoin's global, neutral, and programmable network ideal for netting and settling obligations. Thus, Bitcoin is becoming the native currency for machine commerce, just as it has become a native savings asset for humans.
The global monetary system is being rebuilt from the protocol layer: open infrastructure, default self-custody, Bitcoin settling everything underneath, with stablecoins as the interface. Most users won't think about Bitcoin when they transact — and they won't need to.
foresightnews_apiHace 4 min(s)