On July 9, 2026, Solari hosted a briefing titled “Scenario Planning: Programmable Money and the Automated Third Lock.” The briefing presented a scenario planning framework designed to identify and communicate the potential risks and opportunities associated with programmable money. The four programmable money scenarios—“The Republic,” “The Invisible Fence,” “The Permitted Life,” and “High-Tech Feudalism”—attempt to frame the intent of the people and institutions implementing these digital systems.

Briefing attendees were invited to evaluate the four scenarios in a live interactive poll. We list the poll results below, but the take-home message is that, no matter what intentions might be behind the push for programmable money, everyone agrees that legislative guardrails providing basic consumer protections are essential.

Poll Results

Note: From 39 to 51 attendees participated in each live poll question.

• In response to the question, “What future is the goal?”, over two-thirds (68%) of participants rated “High-Tech Feudalism” as the most likely scenario, and nearly all (94%) rated “The Republic” as least likely.
• When asked about the greatest risks under “High-Tech Feudalism,” more than half of poll participants rated “loss of financial privacy,” “centralized control of health care, food, labor, travel, and capital,” and “AI/automated systems deciding who can transact” as “most likely.”
• All participants agreed that their state government should protect the right to use cash and should protect the right to a non-digital life, and nearly all agreed that the federal government should legally ensure these protections.
• Support for legislative guardrails on programmable money and digital assets at both the state and federal levels was overwhelming. (No one was opposed, and just one to two individuals remained undecided.)

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