Crypto entrepreneur predicts 7 blockchain trends that could explode in 2022

The crypto world is in a bit of a lull right now since Bitcoin did not manage to reach the $90,000 levels predicted by the stock-to-flow models that are usually spot on. Analysts are suggesting that the crypto markets could be in a prolonged bull run, which may extend into 2022 and right now Bitcoin and all the other blockchains are consolidating. Along with Bitcoin’s spectacular rise, 2021 marked the explosive advent of NFTs, crypto games and, to a smaller degree, Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs) as part of the DeFi (decentralized finance) movement.

Elliot Wainmann, the creator of the popular Youtube channel EllioTrades Crypto, posted in late 2020 a video with his predictions regarding the top crypto developments of 2021, and, apparently, he was right about NFTs and crypto gaming. It looks like Elliot is trying to turn these predictions into a tradition, as he recently released a video where he talks about his views on seven crypto trends that could explode in 2022.

As always, it is important to stress that this is not actual financial investment advice, just a brief look at trends that could create new dynamics in our society.

1. Ethereum 2.0 - The Merge as it is known for ETH maxis, the transition towards the proof-of-stake model for Ethereum is taking a bit longer than expected. It is still unclear when this process will be finalized, but we should be seeing some major movements by Q2 next year. It is supposed to bring lower transaction fees and higher throughput and also boost the value of all NFTs created on the blockchain.
   
   
2. Speaking of NFTs, Elliot is expecting a shift for this kind of tokens. The NFT 2.0 model will be less about art and more about utility, gaming and gaining access to super exclusive and desirable communities.
   
   
3. The ascension of music NFTs - Jack Dorsey stepping down from the Twitter CEO position to focus on his newly rebranded Block company (formerly Square) will help boost the adoption of music NFTs through the Tidal streaming service. Other outstanding music NFT projects to keep an eye out for include Opulous and Royal. Elliot thinks this is a “Napster” moment for 2022.
   
   
4. Gaming metaverses / play-to-earn games / GameFi - crypto gaming will remain a solid trend throughout next year and will most likely explode into mainstream, as larger companies like Ubisoft will introduce tens of millions of new users to the crypto ecosystem. The benefits of blockchain tech will be served directly to the user in a fun and engaging way without the headaches of having to learn about the technical mumbo jumbo that makes crypto tick.
   
   
5. The decoupling - Bitcoin’s and Ethereum’s dominance over the other blockchains will start to fade. This way we could see emerging blockchains (mostly gaming and metaverse related) thriving even when BTC and ETH are in a downwards trend.
   
   
6. Layer 2 protocols for the ETH blockchain, specifically zk rollups - these protocols built on top of the ETH network aim to scale the throughput capacity and completely eliminate transaction fees. Major players in this sector are zkSync, StarkWare, ImmutableX, Loopring and Matic. zkSync and StarkWare are almost guaranteed to come with token airdrops for users who already perform small transactions on their networks.
   
   
7. Fan and community tokens - another trend that will better help introduce crypto to mainstream culture via massive decentralized social networks that go viral on the Internet. Examples: football club tokens (PSG, Manchester CIty, etc.), esport platform tokens (OG), car brand tokens, etc.

Four other trends worth mentioning that are not on Elliot's list include:

• Web 3.0 - decentralizing DNS / storage / compute resources / NFT-based identity, plus decentralized stable coins. Basically the introduction of borderless services that do not depend on politics.
  
  
• DAOs - individuals organizing in a decentralized and more efficient way with specialized groups and committees that cast votes and decide how to invest the treasury of the organization in projects that can bring profits to all members.
  
  
• Decentralized option trading - could be introduced with an app similar to Robinhood. Leveraging through options is much safer than leveraging through futures, and this appeals more to Gen Z.
  
  
• Cross-chain DeFi - can be achieved through bridging all the existing blockchains, something similar to how the Cosmos blockchain ties all major blockchains together.

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