This past August in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, the annual SALT conference brought together some of the most forward-looking minds in finance and digital assets. And while the panels were packed with sharp insights, the real signals of what's next came from the conversations happening just off stage.
One theme dominated the summit: crypto isn't a fringe experiment anymore. It's infrastructure. It's enterprise. It's the future of finance that's being built right now.
The Real Story: Digital Asset Treasuries Are Here
While the main stage featured a strong lineup, including a panel with Multicoin Capital's Kyle Samani, Solana's Anatoly Yakovenko, and SALT Chairman Anthony Scaramucci, the real breakthrough came later. After the conference, it was confirmed that Galaxy Digital, Multicoin Capital, and Jump Crypto were working on an over $1 billion Digital Asset Treasury (DAT) focused on Solana, with Cantor Fitzgerald leading the effort.
This wasn't announced on stage, but it was the behind-the-scenes buzz during the summit. Strategic conversations, deep-dive meetings, and institutional interest all pointed toward this shift. And now it's public.
A $1B vehicle like this represents more than capital. It's validation that digital assets can live on public markets, under institutional structures, with broad investor access. The treasury model blends on-chain transparency with traditional finance infrastructure in a way that makes sense to regulators, investors, and operators.
Why DATs Matter Now
Digital Asset Treasuries are emerging as a cornerstone of crypto's institutional future. They allow organizations to hold and manage digital assets within the guardrails of public equity markets.
This opens the door for:
- Institutional exposure to crypto without direct wallet management
- Enhanced transparency and governance models
- Stronger interoperability between legacy systems and digital assets
- Market legitimacy through stock exchange listings
In short, DATs bridge the operational and regulatory gap between crypto, DeFi, and traditional finance. They provide a real, compliant on-ramp for capital to move into crypto.
How It Aligns With Stronghold
At Stronghold, we've always believed in building bridges not silos. Our infrastructure is designed to connect traditional banking systems with emerging digital asset rails. Whether through pay-by-bank embedded payments or merchant rewards powered by SHx, we've consistently focused on interoperability and real-world utility.
The rise of DATs aligns with our mission. We see them as a natural evolution of the financial system, a way to bring more participants into the digital asset space using structures they already understand. We're not just watching this shift. We're building for it.
Other Key Takeaways From SALT
- Institutional token trading is accelerating
- Stablecoins are gaining momentum with regulators and enterprise adoption
- State-level innovation, especially in Wyoming, is heating up
- Bitcoin still commands mindshare and yes, we heard "Bitcoin 4ever" more than once
- Eric Trump, American Bitcoin (ABTC) and Hut 8 (HUT) floated through the networking circles
Crypto is moving into the next phase of maturity, and SALT was a clear reminder that the infrastructure conversation is taking center stage.
What's Next
The emergence of Digital Asset Treasuries signals a major turning point. Institutional capital is not just flirting with digital assets anymore. It's making long-term commitments through compliant, structured vehicles.
At Stronghold, we're ready. We've built the rails. We're aligned with this shift. And we're excited to keep moving the future of finance forward.
