At the Consensus 2026 conference in Miami, Bitwise CEO Hunter Horsley expressed optimism about the future of decentralized finance (DeFi), projecting a total value locked (TVL) of $500 billion within five years. Addressing concerns over recent negative sentiment, Horsley emphasized that operational security issues, rather than smart contract breaches, have been the primary challenges. He highlighted the need for DeFi and on-chain treasuries to adapt as the crypto industry gains mainstream traction. During the panel, eToro CEO Yoni Assia described DeFi as an "inevitable future," predicting a TVL of $5 trillion. Meanwhile, a16z Crypto partner Guy Wuollet refrained from giving a specific forecast, simply stating his outlook as "up and to the right." The discussion underscored the varying perspectives on DeFi's growth trajectory amid its evolving landscape.