President Donald Trump’s recent executive order (EO) outlining new guidelines for managing digital assets like Bitcoin (BTC), XRP, Solana (SOL), ADA, and Ethereum (ETH) has raised several questions, especially regarding the inclusion of specific cryptocurrencies in the U.S. government’s reserves.
The EO establishes two main components: a strategic reserve dedicated to Bitcoin and a broader digital asset stockpile that includes other cryptocurrencies. Among the assets considered for this stockpile are XRP, SOL, ADA, and ETH. In the wake of these developments, Solana co-founder Anatoly Yakovenko has expressed concerns about the creation of such a reserve, especially regarding its potential impact on decentralization.
Yakovenko recently addressed rumors suggesting that Ripple may have pitched SOL as part of the national reserve in a bid to make the inclusion of XRP more legitimate. Responding to these claims, Yakovenko clarified his position on reserves, stating his preference:
No Reserve: “If you want decentralization to fail, you’d put the government in charge of it.”
State-Controlled Reserves: He suggested that individual states should run their own reserves to act as a hedge against potential federal mistakes.
Objective Criteria for Reserves: If a reserve is necessary, Yakovenko argues it should be based on objective, measurable requirements that are rationally justified.
Yakovenko further stressed that the Solana ecosystem would be ready to meet any objective criteria set by a reserve, even if it means focusing on Bitcoin for now. When questioned about whether Solana representatives had pitched SOL for inclusion in the reserve while Ripple pushed for XRP’s inclusion, Yakovenko humorously responded, “What’s a Solana representative? At this point, it’s honestly like saying a Bitcoin representative. No one asked me, and I didn’t pitch it.”
