In the future, users will earn tokens by completing tasks in decentralized networks rather than purchasing them. This scenario was predicted by Shayon Sengupta, an investment partner at the venture capital firm Multicoin Capital.

1/ A billion people will get their first public key by earning crypto, not buying it. The next era of onramping is going to be powered by Internet Labor Markets.

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— shayon (@shayonsengupta) March 10, 2026

Sengupta referred to this new direction as "Internet Labor Markets" (ILM). In these networks, users receive assets for their specific contributions: work, resources, or expertise.

Source: Multicoin Capital.

“In the future, people will earn their first cryptocurrency not by buying it, but by earning it,” he noted.

Among the key features of ILM, Sengupta highlighted:

  • Dynamic task creation: parameters (specification, verification, and reward) are programmatically set for specific requests without unnecessary formalities;
  • Strict verification guarantees: the use of automated (deterministic) verification or collateral mechanisms in cases requiring human assessment.

From Speculation to Earning

The ILM concept is already gaining traction, especially within the Solana ecosystem. More projects are emerging that reward users for completing verifiable tasks.

“There are only two ways to enter crypto: buy or earn. The first method has dominated the last decade. In the next decade, the majority will choose the second. This wave will surpass the first in both participant numbers and volume, as the vast majority of people in the world live on income rather than asset purchases,” Sengupta believes.

He explained that blockchain infrastructure enables such systems through automatic verification and settlements. Traditional hiring is fraught with bureaucracy and payment delays. ILM replaces this process with deterministic verification: once work is confirmed, payment is instantly processed through a distributed ledger.

“Imagine: someone creates a company to meet a specific market need, and 50,000 people worldwide get paid for their work,” the expert said.

Digital Coordination of Labor

In practice, this work can take various forms, from providing bandwidth and data labeling for AI to managing energy consumption.

The concept builds on ideas from DePIN. Sengupta described this direction as “the best example of on-chain coordination,” which has laid the groundwork for ILM by providing:

  • Fast and inexpensive settlements;
  • Verifiable outcomes;
  • Reliable trust and reputation guarantees for resource providers.

In recent years, DePIN networks have evolved significantly:

  • They have improved incentive system design, moving away from poorly thought-out inflationary emissions;
  • They have learned to verify work more rigorously (through zkTLS), combat spam, and pay proportionately to contributions;
  • They have helped normalize earnings in tokens;
  • They have found the ideal task volume: the simpler the action, the more efficient the network.

According to Sengupta, the next stage will involve a shift from passive contributions (“set up a hotspot and earn tokens indefinitely”) to specific tasks with clear payments: “deliver a package from A to B and receive a fixed reward” or “reduce energy consumption by 100 kWh in the evening and earn tokens.”

The Role of AI

The expert is confident that AI will not render human labor obsolete; rather, it will enhance individual efficiency and expand the range of tasks that can be addressed. What was once a single profession will become a set of small modular roles.

Future organizations will have a tiny core and a vast periphery of on-demand workers. The main limitation will not be hiring but speed: how quickly one can find the right person, verify the quality of their work, and pay for the result. This is where ILM comes into play.

The transition of income to on-chain will naturally stimulate consumption within ecosystems. People will begin to actively use basic crypto tools: yield services, lending, and trading. This will close the loop, integrating labor and capital markets.

“The new user will not come to read a white paper or buy a meme coin. They will come because they can do work here, get paid, and stay—because the pay is better than anywhere else,” Sengupta concluded.

Lastly, analysts at River reported a record increase in Bitcoin adoption by institutional banks, public companies, and governments.