The bear market of 2023 is behind us, and it’s time to look ahead to 2024 and explore what trends will shape the crypto landscape. Investors should stay informed about which cryptocurrencies and projects to focus on. Bitcoin remains a strong player, seen as digital gold for long-term investment, and its price movements often influence the entire crypto market. Ethereum continues to benefit from its first-mover advantage, with ongoing improvements aimed at faster and more cost-effective transactions.
Real World Assets (RWAs) appear set to play a significant role in 2024 by tokenizing traditional assets like stocks, debts, and real estate, bridging crypto with conventional finance. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is complementing crypto by using blockchain timestamps to detect deep fakes and verify AI-generated content, indicating the importance of tracking these trends, with AI coins potentially making significant strides in 2024.
In addition to AI, decentralized physical infrastructure protocols like Akash and Arweave are emerging to meet storage needs. Decentralized social media is also gaining traction with platforms like Farcaster, Lens, and newcomers such as Galxe, Intract, and Deso.
Key figures to watch in 2024 include Larry Fink from BlackRock, Cathie Wood of Ark Invest, Senator Elizabeth Warren, and Lucas Vogelsang. Warren leads a group of crypto-skeptical Democrats, wielding considerable influence. Other notable names include SEC Chairman Gary Gensler, FDIC Chairman Martin Gruenberg, and CFPB Director Rohit Chopra. Vogelsang stands out in the RWA space with Centrifuge, while Vibhu garners attention as the founder of Drip Haus.
Prominent projects to follow are Celestia, a modular chain offering a fast and economical foundation, and Farcaster, a platform for DeSoc applications with regular contributions from Vitalik Buterin. Liquid Staking presents an exciting growth avenue for DeFi, with Lido’s market share expansion being noteworthy. Drip Haus, under Vibhu’s leadership, is breaking boundaries with art and NFTs, offering a creative approach to RWAs.