The Web3 Industry Moves Towards Maturity: Insights and Review of the TOKEN2049 Dubai Conference

The recent TOKEN2049 Dubai conference once again demonstrated its status as a top global event in the cryptocurrency industry, attracting over 15,000 participants from more than 160 countries. This two-day conference featured a series of high-profile speeches and discussions, reflecting the evolution of market dynamics and the rise of emerging trends.

Main Trends

1. Infrastructure Becomes the Focus

In the meeting agenda, infrastructure-related topics accounted for the largest proportion (15.7%), followed by artificial intelligence (11%). Although the enthusiasm for AI has cooled, its integration efforts with blockchain indicate that this topic still holds structural significance.

2. The Rise of Stablecoins as Core Infrastructure

The combined ratio of stablecoins and real-world assets (RWA) has surpassed AI, reflecting the growing market interest in blockchain applications with direct practical utility. Stablecoins are gaining attention for their actual value in payments and settlements, while RWA has become a leading category for the next generation of blockchain applications.

3. The DeFi perspective is becoming more mature

Rather than focusing on replacing traditional finance, the discussion has shifted to how decentralized systems can complement existing institutions. This aligns with the broader industry's trend towards regulatory engagement and institutional adoption.

4. The Solana ecosystem is gaining significant attention

Despite being severely impacted during the FTX collapse, the Solana ecosystem has successfully rebounded, with its presence on stage and the intensity of technical discussions even surpassing that of Ethereum. This shift in ecological dynamics is worth close attention, as it may become a turning point in the Layer 1 blockchain landscape.

Deep Changes

1. Stablecoins Become the Core of the Digital Economy

Stablecoins have been established as the core infrastructure of the digital economy and are seen as a key opportunity in the Web3 space. The industry expects stablecoin transactions to expand from on-chain activities to the real economy, potentially forming a market worth trillions of dollars.

2. AI in the Cryptocurrency Field: High Enthusiasm but Still in the Experimental Stage

Although AI continues to attract widespread attention, most participants believe that this field should be viewed from a long-term perspective. The focus is still on foundational experiments rather than immediate large-scale applications.

3. Node Sales Trend Sparks Controversy

At the conference, the sale of nodes related to physical devices has been receiving increasing attention. However, some attendees questioned whether these sales are merely retail financing strategies packaged as ecosystem participation.

4. Technology is no longer the only winning weapon

The gap between technological advancement and market adoption is continuing to widen. Mere continuous research is no longer sufficient to attract market interest. Industry participants are shifting their focus from research to execution, placing greater emphasis on developing strategic market entry plans, understanding liquidity flows, establishing exchange relationships, and designing user-friendly TOKEN models.

Important Announcement

1. Plan to launch a new US dollar stablecoin that complies with US regulatory requirements.

2. A trading platform has launched a crypto payment application that supports user self-custody and has disclosed multiple institutional partnerships.

3. Zodia Custody enters the UAE market and strengthens regulatory cooperation.

4. The Mesh display and the new integration feature with Apple Pay simplify the cryptocurrency payment process in retail environments.

5. Abu Dhabi MGX Fund completed a $2 billion investment through the stablecoin USD1.

6. A trading platform has launched a $300 million ecosystem development fund, focusing on investments in modular chains, ZK-rollups, and self-custody solutions.

7. Former PayPal executives launch native payment protocol Spark based on the Bitcoin Lightning Network

Industry Transformation

This conference clearly showcased the cryptocurrency industry's shift from speculative enthusiasm to a focus on practicality and infrastructure development. Three key themes emerged:

1. Stablecoins transcend narrative and become the infrastructure of the digital economy.
2. AI enthusiasm is rising, but market sentiment is becoming cautious.
3. Dubai consolidates its position as a Web3 regulatory and capital center

The era of idealistic experimentation is giving way to a phase of pragmatic execution. The Web3 ecosystem has now entered a stage that relies on infrastructure development, system integration, and delivery capabilities. The market is no longer just paying for conceptual innovations; stakeholders expect practical applications and clear value propositions. This shift marks a broader maturation of the entire ecosystem, paving the way for more stable and long-term development, which can be seen as the arrival of Web3's "urbanization" era.