Original author: Ignas | DeFi
Original translation: TechFlow
The current crypto bull run is primarily driven by external macro factors, but exciting new product launches and catalysts are coming that will drive the internal crypto ecosystem forward.
Here are the top 15 projects I’m keeping an eye on:
Monad (expected to be launched on the mainnet at the end of 2024)
Do we really need another alit-L1?
Will it become another sell-off with low circulation and high market valuation?
Can Monad attract unique, non-forking decentralized applications (dApps)?
MegaETH (expected to launch mainnet by the end of 2024)
Is it an ordinary second-layer solution, or a real game changer that brings heat to the ETH+L2 modular expansion roadmap?
Can it truly achieve 100,000 transactions per second (TPS) and 1 millisecond block time, or is it just a rehash from the previous bull run?
Berachain
Is this a place for speculators and insiders to take gains and sell off, or is it a wealth creation platform that provides unique non-forked dApps to early users?
I was skeptical but willing to be pleasantly surprised by positive results.
Eigenlayer Second Staking Event
EIGEN trading is expected in Q3/Q4, and multiple AVS are expected to be launched on the mainnet:
It’s time to clarify the true value of restaking for the crypto community, which many people don’t understand yet.
The token launch will reveal whether restaking remains popular.
Eigenlayer (permissionless token support coming soon)
Innovation in token economics has stagnated as VCs and teams have taken a conservative approach to old, proven models.
Can re-staking bring new utility and excitement to token economics, benefiting its community?
Symbiotic (expected to launch on mainnet in Q3)
Will Symbiotic beat Eigenlayer to the Token Generation Event (TGE) and take the crown of “re-staking” popularity from Eigenlayer?
Given recent Paradigm-backed projects like Friend Tech and Blast, it’s possible that it will do well early on, but that remains to be seen.
Ethereum Pectra upgrade (expected in Q1 2025)
Could EIP-7702’s account abstraction put an end to those pesky token approvals?
Will Pectra have any positive impact on the lagged price of ETH?
Fantom is rebranding to Sonic:
A phoenix rising from the ashes, with a new name, a new token $S and a new chart, or something else?
A successful rebrand can inspire other projects, bring new narratives, and provide inspiration for short-term deals.
Maker’s Rebranding: Transition to NewGovToken and NewStableToken
Maker has grown into a system so complex that even crypto veterans have trouble keeping up.
Will this rebranding simplify operations and make them easier to understand, thereby driving growth in $DAI supply?
Pudgy Penguin’s L2 solution (Abstract), Story (IP Chain), and Sony’s Soneium: Is this the beginning of a new crypto narrative?
Can they actually build new creator and consumer monetization models in the AI era?
If successful, it could attract new crypto users beyond the speculator crowd.
Fractal Bitcoin (mainnet coming soon) and OP_CAT:
Despite the FOMO and price drops of BRC 20 s, Ordinals and Runes, these two developments are bringing back the heat to the native Bitcoin. Will their heat last?
In addition, the successful launch of the Babylon mainnet shows the demand for DeFi on BTC.
Stacks Nakamoto Upgrade (coming soon):
Will this upgrade attract more users and ecosystem total locked value (TVL)? Will the airdrop of the Stacks ecosystem have a wealth effect?
Currently, Stacks dominates the market share of BTC’s second layer, but competitors are catching up quickly.
Coinbase cbBTC is now live:
Another ERC 20 BTC opportunity has emerged following changes in the wBTC governance structure.
cbBTC will capture most of wBTC’s total locked value. Which DeFi BTC wrapper will emerge next? This could be a promising trading opportunity.
Uniswap (potential $UNI fee sharing, date TBD): Will this spark a#realyieldrenaissance?
Will other DeFi protocols follow suit? Frax has already enabled fee switching, and AAVE rose after the fee switching proposal.
UNI's fee switch will have a positive impact on DeFi development.
