Extended by a16z’s “2025 Crypto Predictions”: What are the top projects worthy of attention next year?

Original title: Big Ideas from a16z: Top Projects to Watch in 2025

Author: Stacy Muur

Compiled by: Scof, ChainCatcher

The end of the year is one of my favorite times, as the top minds in the Web3 industry start sharing their high-confidence thoughts and predictions for 2025. It’s an exciting time that could outline the potential for the crypto industry in the year ahead. Earlier this month, a16z crypto released a list of big ideas for 2025. What agreements are already established in these key areas? Let’s explore it in this new publication.

This time, what I want to focus on is the article published by a16z crypto: "A16Z looks forward to 2025 new encryption trends."

Core Idea #1: AI agents that manage wallets

In short, AI agents have demonstrated the ability to conduct independent transactions and be fully autonomous. There are many emerging application scenarios in this field, and AI agents can become new roles in Web3, participating in transactions, investments, bridging, and the realization of other intentions.

In this area, a few projects that I focus on include:

• NEAR Protocol: NEAR is positioning itself as an “AI blockchain.” Recently, they have launched some important projects including Near AI and Near Intents. NEAR has accumulated considerable influence in the industry and is expected to become a leader in this field by 2025.
• Fetch.ai: Fetch.ai is a platform built for the AI ​​economy, providing tools to build, deploy and monetize AI services. Its ASI wallet can integrate Fetch’s best features and progress in the field of AI, and may become the first implementation case of the combination of AI and wallet.
• Armor Wallet: Armor Wallet is an AI-powered crypto wallet and trading assistant that enables transactions across multiple blockchains and quickly executes complex transactions. It is important to note that Armor Wallet is still in an early stage of development.
• Coin98 Super Wallet: Coin98 launched their AI wallet at the end of November, featuring an AI assistant capable of recommending tools and simplifying complex tasks while supporting natural human interaction.

Core Idea #2: Enhance Information Aggregation

The concept revolves around new mechanisms based on prediction markets that aim to aggregate information more efficiently and enhance decision-making processes in various fields.

This is a relatively new idea, and for this area, I recommend reading Delphi Digital’s report “Markets Will Save the World.”

My watch list:

• MetaDAO: MetaDAO is the first project to implement future governance (Futarchy) on a large scale within a DAO. Futarchy is a governance system that combines prediction markets and democratic voting, aiming to drive decision-making through market transaction results.
• Futarchy: Futarchy’s philosophy is similar to MetaDAO, emphasizing governance through the market and reflecting the impact that various policy options may have on the value of tokens.

Core Idea #3: Mass Adoption of Stablecoins

The idea focuses on the increased adoption of stablecoins, which have surpassed Visa, MasterCard and PayPal in transaction volume. This shift will benefit many market participants, including stablecoin issuers, crypto card companies, and crypto acquiring services.

To better demonstrate the stablecoin ecosystem, the following is an ecological diagram from the above study. Consider adding these items to your watch list.

In my opinion, it is particularly important in this space to highlight the infrastructure that facilitates the growing transaction volumes that will be the main beneficiaries of the widespread adoption of stablecoins.

In addition to TRON (as a well-known USDT transfer engine), a protocol worth paying attention to is Noble. This emerging project is dedicated to developing liquidity infrastructure to help asset issuers participate in the cross-chain economy.

Core Idea #4: Modularize everything

Modularity is not new, but a16z believes that more modular solutions will gain mainstream adoption next year. The following areas deserve attention:

• RaaS (Rollup-as-a-Service): Gelato, Caldera, AltLayer, Conduit, Bison Labs.
• Interoperability: Hyperlane, Polyhedra, Omni.
• Shared order: Espresso, Radius, Zellular.
• Privacy: Nillion, Brevis, Automata, Fhenix, zkMe.
• Intent: Anoma, Aori, Native.
• Storage: Arweave, Storj, Filecoin, Zus.
• Oracle: Pyth, RedStone, Supra, Chainlink.

The focus on infrastructure solutions remains critical in 2025.

Core Idea #5: Seamless User Experience

This is one of the strongest trends in my opinion. Chain Abstraction has become a hot topic this year, and we are finally approaching the moment when abstract user experiences become a reality, not just a concept.

Here’s a great chain abstraction diagram from The Defiant:

These projects are all worthy of attention, but I especially want to highlight Particle, which is the project I am most optimistic about. Their first implementation of “Universal Accounts” recently went live, allowing users to seamlessly trade assets on any chain through UniversalX.

Another project worth watching in this space is Everclear, the main clearing layer for Web3. As the solver economy required for chain abstraction scales, solvers need to rebalance assets across different chains, and Everclear is the most cost-effective facilitator of this process.

Core Idea #6: Encrypted App Stores

a16z’s original report mentioned a number of crypto app store developers worth watching, including the Telegram app on TON, Alchemy, Solana’s mobile dApp store (Seeker), and Worldcoin’s mobile app.

I would also like to recommend a few more projects: Glue, DeFi App and VeBetter.

Core Idea #7: Tokenization of Everything

Tokenization is a broad topic, especially regarding the tokenization of “unconventional” assets. Here are some projects worth watching:

• Kaito AI: Tokenizing influence (the attention economy).
• GAIB: Providing an economic layer for an AI-driven future by tokenizing enterprise-grade GPUs.
• Compute Labs: Directly competes with GAIB through GPU fragmentation ownership.
• ShopX: Tokenized goods and products (RWA in e-commerce).
• Eaas: Tokenizing carbon footprint.
• AI Agents and DeSci: High-risk, peak-of-the-moment projects such as Dolz (tokenized porn stars), PsyDAO (tokenized psychedelic science and art), Molecule (tokenized protocol for biopharmaceutical IP), etc.

These projects bring more innovative possibilities to the crypto world and deserve attention.