Solana Labs co-founder Anatoly Yakovenko has offered a stark but practical warning to cryptocurrency project founders: prepare for the worst—specifically, a 95% market crash.
In a recent post on social media, Yakovenko emphasized the importance of quarterly “pre-rehearsals” to stress test business models against potential extreme downturns. His advice comes at a time when crypto markets are experiencing renewed interest and inflows, but he believes this is exactly when complacency becomes most dangerous.
Planning for Survival, Not Just Success
Yakovenko suggested that every crypto startup team should regularly ask themselves three critical questions:
- Which products should remain a priority in a severe downturn?
- What key competencies must the core team retain to survive and rebuild?
- Are there enough cash reserves to sustain operations for at least 18 months?
This survival-first mindset, he argues, can help teams stay grounded, avoid overextension, and navigate through inevitable bear cycles with clarity and control.
“Victory” Narratives Could Be Premature
Yakovenko also addressed what he sees as a growing problem in the Solana ecosystem: celebratory narratives suggesting that the blockchain has already “won.” According to him, such attitudes are not only premature but potentially harmful.
He cautioned that despite recent milestones, there is still “a lot of work to do” to make Solana’s infrastructure and ecosystem more resilient and sustainable in the long term.
A Lesson from Past Cycles
Yakovenko’s warning reflects lessons learned from previous crypto market cycles, where overconfidence during bull markets often led to painful corrections. His call for disciplined scenario planning and conservative cash management echoes advice from traditional startup playbooks—tailored to the high-volatility world of Web3.
As Solana and other blockchain projects continue to scale, founders who take this advice seriously may be better positioned to emerge stronger from future storms.
Kosta Gushterov
Reporter at Coindoo
Kosta has been a part of the team since 2021 and has solidified his position with a thirst for knowledge, incredible dedication to his work and a “detective-like” mindset. He not only covers a wide range of trending topics, he also creates reviews, PR articles and educational content. His work has also been referenced by other news outlets.
Source: https://coindoo.com/solana-co-founder-urges-crypto-startups-to-prepare-for-market-crashes/