John Nahas, Avalanche's business chief, asserts that the cryptocurrency industry must mature and address genuine problems to achieve widespread adoption. He told CoinDesk that Avalanche is positioned as a business tool rather than a purely crypto product.
Nahas emphasized that companies require tailored blockchain infrastructure to meet specific compliance, geographic, and operational demands. He drew a parallel to WordPress, suggesting businesses should be able to easily deploy their own blockchains.
This strategic shift moves Avalanche away from broad crypto narratives toward a "built for business" approach, integrating embedded finance. The objective is to help companies generate new revenue through digitization or reduce costs via efficient digital processes.
Nahas criticized much of the crypto space for prioritizing "technology for technology's sake" over solving concrete customer issues. He argued that businesses will not adopt shared, general-purpose blockchains if they need privacy, distinct fee structures, or regulatory oversight.
Avalanche's rebranded "subnets" model, now Avalanche L1s, enables businesses to operate sovereign blockchains with independent validators and rules. The network currently supports over 70 live L1s, with a target of 200 by year-end. Use cases include tokenized equities, FIFA digital products, deed records, and asset tokenization programs in Japan.
Nahas acknowledged that critics of crypto are not entirely wrong, citing overreliance on speculation and weak business models. He believes that while enterprise partners are engaging with crypto, many are dissatisfied with a focus on announcements over execution.
He anticipates clearer regulations could spur institutional investment, even if it faces resistance from the libertarian segment of the crypto community. Nahas also noted the potential for blockchain-based payment rails to support AI-driven agentic systems and micropayments. The winning platforms, he concluded, will act more like dependable business infrastructure than ideological movements.