At the 2026 Hong Kong Web3 Carnival, Solana Foundation President Lily Liu delivered a keynote address, advocating blockchain's potential to democratize global capital access. She highlighted a stark disparity: 94% of global market capitalization is concentrated in just 20 stock exchanges across 14 countries, predominantly in the United States, creating extreme inequality in capital formation.
Internet Capital Market: Breaking Down Geographical Barriers
Liu proposed an 'Internet Capital Market' where assets from anywhere in the world can raise capital globally, facilitated by stablecoins and Solana's blockchain infrastructure. Stablecoins serve as the value medium, while Solana's high throughput and low fees enable large-scale value flows, allowing small businesses and individuals in developing nations to access global financing without relying on limited local financial resources.
Universal Basic Ownership: From Welfare to Property Rights
Liu also introduced the concept of 'Universal Basic Ownership' (UBO), contrasting it with Universal Basic Income (UBI). She argued that UBI is passive welfare, while UBO empowers individuals through blockchain to own stakes in their economies—for example, earning tokens by participating in network governance, providing computing resources, or contributing data. This represents a digital-era property rights model that fosters economic participation and wealth distribution without reliance on welfare systems.
Liu's speech comes as the Solana ecosystem continues to expand, though her vision must still navigate regulatory hurdles, scalability concerns, and user adoption challenges.