A new wave of crypto trend? From gaming to communities, all are preparing.
Web3 has long struggled to break through the 'niche' limitations, whether it be cryptocurrencies, NFTs, or blockchain games. Despite years of development, it has yet to make a significant impact on the mainstream. However, Rebecca Liao, founder and CEO of Saga, predicts that 2025 may be a key turning point: once blockchain infrastructure matures further, coupled with a potentially more favorable regulatory environment, the '6 major applications' of the Web3 industry could see explosive growth next year! The following will analyze which innovative models have the opportunity to be first accepted by the general public from the perspectives of gaming, communities, and liquidity solutions.
1. The application of AI in gaming and interactive scenarios
In the past, people's imagination of 'AI + blockchain' focused mainly on payment integration. However, the most grounded combination of AI and Web3 is actually in the gaming industry. Currently, many blockchain games are incorporating AI-generated art assets or NPCs (non-player characters) into their development processes, enhancing game depth and experience. Especially on gaming platforms with Layer1 construction features, AI agents can even proactively create independent Layer1s within public chain frameworks like Saga, generating truly autonomous virtual worlds. Imagine an AI-driven game world where players can interact with intelligent NPCs, creating an experience entirely different from traditional online games.
With more widely adopted AI tools, the creative threshold for small developers has significantly lowered. Rebecca speculates that next year most blockchain games will introduce AI agents; these AIs may actively create on-chain 'autonomous swarms,' resulting in a gaming experience distinctly different from traditional games. If this initiative can successfully take off, Web3 games are bound to become the first major breakthrough for the crypto industry into the mainstream market.
2. Web3 games moving towards maturity, well-known studios entering the scene
Rebecca believes that 2025 will be a key turning point for blockchain games: many traditional companies and independent studios are completing the 'experimental phase' of their first batch of Web3 projects and are now entering more mature game design and operational stages. The gaming market has faced a headwind of 'lack of breakthrough themes and stagnation in user growth' over the past year, and the combination of blockchain and NFT games could bring new business models and community vitality to the industry.
Blockchain games with features like 'player-owned assets' and 'secondary market trading' can reduce player churn and increase engagement. When traditional game developers realize that Web3 technology is not just about financial speculation but can also enable diverse payment methods and community co-creation within games, they may fully immerse themselves in the 'chain game era.' Rebecca asserts that if next year’s new wave of 'premium chain games' receives enthusiastic market feedback, genuine mainstream users will also be brought into the Web3 world.
3. Meme and 'Degen Asset' culture
The crypto industry has its unique 'cultural genes,' including the so-called 'Degen' trend derived from meme coins or DeFi. Many Web3 communities attract new users to participate in discussions and 'invest' through memes and community-created tokens. Although traditional financial industries often view this as a 'bubble,' such memes can create a unique sense of cultural belonging and become a strong force in crypto marketing and promotion.
Rebecca mentioned that some AI agents spontaneously issued meme coins on public chains, successfully creating instant viral 'community events.' These memes and 'Degen assets' may not have a solid commercial foundation, but they contain rich social momentum and attract young groups. The power of community consensus is often immense in the Web3 world and indicates that similar meme products will continue to emerge in 2025, deepening the general public's experience with crypto.
4. Advanced in-game marketplace and DeFi integration
In the next generation of chain games market, the in-game marketplace will elevate to a 'sovereign economy.' Players will build their own markets, using DeFi modules for asset collateralization, lending, or liquidity mining. Thus, the entire game's items and characters can not only be consumed in-game but also circulate in a broader decentralized financial environment to generate economic returns. In other words, the market behaviors of games and the open financial infrastructure of blockchain will perfectly integrate, transforming games from mere 'entertainment' into a vast economic network of virtual and real interactions.
5. Advanced liquidity solutions driving cross-chain interoperability
Addressing the 'fragmented' liquidity issues of blockchain is also key to achieving large-scale implementation next year. Rebecca believes that only by ensuring asset transfer and interoperability across chains can consumers truly experience 'free movement on any platform and any token.' Whether through cross-chain bridges or cross-chain communication layers like LayerZero, these will play a crucial role in 2025. Those providing stable and user-friendly liquidity infrastructure will ascend to leadership positions and drive the prosperity of the entire industry.
6. Trends after the U.S. elections, regulatory warming leads to 'explosive growth'
The last key variable is the regulatory atmosphere after the U.S. elections. Rebecca speculates that if Trump (or any leader with pro-crypto views) returns to power, it may lead to a more accommodating regulatory environment, including the SEC redefining token attributes and establishing regulatory sandboxes, all of which could 'greenlight' Web3. Once regulations loosen, capital and enterprises will flock in, inevitably triggering the next wave of large-scale application trends. Especially in the U.S. market, which remains a significant indicator of global investment and technological innovation, if the winds shift dramatically in 2025, the Web3 industry will not only see a slight rebound but could experience an explosion at the level of a 'super bull market.'
Overall, beyond speculation and financial investment, Web3 is making real attempts at 'genuine user experiences' from various aspects such as gaming, communities, NFTs, and ecological infrastructure. If the market can seize the turning point of liquidity infrastructure and regulation, Web3 in 2025 may witness a true moment of crossing from 'niche circles' to shake the mainstream market with scalable user services and new business models.
Rebecca also emphasizes that whether success can ultimately be achieved depends on the team's understanding of product experience and community interaction; after all, for the crypto industry to truly 'fly into the homes of ordinary people' in the next decade, it must provide application scenarios that meet daily needs, rather than falling back into speculative trends.
[Disclaimer] The market has risks, and investment should be approached with caution. This article does not constitute investment advice, and users should consider whether any opinions, views, or conclusions in this article are suitable for their specific situation. Any investment based on this is at one's own risk.
'Can Web3 be accepted by the mainstream? Experts: '6 Major Predictions,' the industry will welcome an explosion next year!' This article was first published in 'Crypto City.'