Author: defiprime
Compiled by: TechFlow
(Some thoughts on macro trends in the ecosystem and community, in no particular order)
1. Clarification of the regulatory environment
For a long time, DeFi has been in a regulatory gray area, but 2025 may usher in a key turning point, and a number of important regulatory policies may be implemented.
Compliant DeFi protocols are expected to achieve rapid growth and attract more institutional participation, while projects that do not meet regulatory requirements may face greater survival pressure and even gradually exit the market.
2. DeFi and Web3 may return to the United States
The policies of the previous administration forced a large number of Web3 projects and innovations to move out of the United States, and many projects even had to block American users.
However, as the policy environment improves, this trend may be reversed. It is expected that more Web3 projects will remove geographic restrictions, re-enter the US market, and reconnect with US users.
3. Stablecoins will become the main force in the payment field
Traditional finance (TradFi) can no longer ignore the rapid rise of stablecoins. Although the widespread adoption of stablecoins by institutions still requires more complete tools and infrastructure support, and this process may take time, stablecoins have shown strong development momentum and gradually established their important position in the global payment and financial ecosystem.
4. The market could reach a cycle high in 2025
Financial markets cannot continue to rise, and 2025 may be the peak of this cycle, followed by a correction. The key question is: how big will the market correction be?
As Bitcoin becomes increasingly correlated with traditional financial markets, its price declines are likely to be relatively limited and are expected to be smaller than those of traditional financial indices such as the S&P 500.
5. Ethereum will continue to explore new development narratives
The performance in 2024 shows that the competition in the blockchain industry is accelerating, and the traditional ten-year plan can no longer adapt to this rapidly changing field. The lack of efficiency of the Ethereum Foundation (EF) has slowed down the overall development of Ethereum.
But it is worth noting that the community’s attention to these issues is increasing, sparking a lot of active and in-depth discussions. On social media, this phenomenon is vividly called “Ethereum War Mode”, which reflects the community’s efforts and debates to promote the progress of Ethereum.
(Original: Evan Van Ness tweet)
6. Token fever sweeps Web3
Many early OG Web3 projects are expected to launch their own tokens in 2025, such as the highly anticipated Opensea, Metamask, and Farcaster platforms. In addition, some emerging popular public chains will also join this wave of token releases.
This may kick off an “airdrop season” to provide rewards to loyal Web3 users who have been active over the past few years. But what is more worthy of attention is the market performance of these new tokens and their specific role in shaping the ecosystem.
7. Shifting focus of crypto infrastructure investment
With most infrastructure projects already underway, venture capitalists are turning their attention to consumer-facing products.
This trend began to emerge last year, and as the industry matures and users adopt it more widely, this shift is expected to accelerate in the coming years.
8. Deep integration of DeFi and AI
The combination of AI technology and on-chain protocols may give rise to a promising field of innovation. From automating complex investment strategies to optimizing interactions with decentralized systems, the introduction of AI will bring more possibilities to DeFi. This trend is expected to become a focus of the industry next year.
9. New Token Distribution and Fundraising Model
The meme craze in 2024 actually reflects the community’s dissatisfaction with the traditional venture capital-backed token model. The token models of the past with high fully diluted valuations (FDV), low circulation, and multiple rounds of financing have gradually become incompatible with market demand.
In the future, we may see more token distribution and fundraising mechanisms that focus on community consensus and long-term sustainable development. These innovations will help projects better form collaborative relationships with users while avoiding the drawbacks of traditional models.
10. NFT 2.0: Towards dynamism and efficiency
While the overall NFT market may be flat, projects like $PENGU are leading a new direction in the transition from traditional non-fungible assets to a more dynamic and efficient meme market. This shift may inspire other series of projects to follow suit.
In addition, with the expected release of Opensea Token, it may also inject new vitality into the current sluggish NFT market and push the industry back on track for growth.
