Review of TOKEN2049 Dubai Conference: Industry Maturity and Infrastructure Development Become the Focus

The recently held TOKEN2049 Dubai conference attracted over 15,000 participants from more than 160 countries, further solidifying its status as a top global event in the cryptocurrency industry. This two-day conference not only featured a series of high-profile speeches and discussions but also reflected the evolution of market dynamics and the rise of emerging trends.

Analysis of Conference Topics

The conference covered a wide range of blockchain topics, fully showcasing the evolution of industry priorities. Infrastructure-related topics accounted for the largest share (15.7%), followed by AI (11%). Notably, the combined proportion of stablecoins (8.7%) and real-world assets (RWA, 5.5%) has surpassed AI, reflecting the growing market interest in blockchain applications with direct practicality.

In DeFi discussions, industry perspectives have become more mature compared to previous years. The focus has shifted to how decentralized systems can complement existing institutions, rather than concentrating on replacing traditional finance. This also aligns with the overall trend of the industry moving towards regulatory engagement and institutional adoption.

Another notable change is the increasing focus on the Solana ecosystem. Despite suffering significant setbacks during previous market turmoil, the Solana ecosystem has successfully rebounded, and its presence at the conference and the intensity of technical discussions even surpassed that of Ethereum.

In-depth Trend Analysis

Stablecoins have become core infrastructure

Stablecoins have established themselves as a core infrastructure of the digital economy and are seen as a key opportunity in the Web3 space. An increasing number of viewpoints suggest that stablecoin transactions will expand from on-chain activities to the real economy, potentially forming a market worth trillions of dollars.

With the consolidation of this viewpoint, the industry's focus has shifted from simple integration to control over the payment layer. Web3 projects and institutions are intensifying efforts to secure a leading position within the stablecoin tech stack.

AI in the crypto space: exciting but still in the experimental stage

In discussions about AI, a cautious tone is generally presented. Many participants pointed out that the gap between market enthusiasm and the maturity of current technological development is widening. In particular, some AI agent projects have been criticized for lacking clear use cases.

Despite these concerns, people still have long-term confidence in the potential role of Web3 in the AI market. Concepts such as decentralized AI computing and open-source agent frameworks are considered areas with practical potential.

Technology is no longer the only chip.

The gap between technological advancement and market adoption is continuing to widen. Even teams with strong technical capabilities acknowledge that continuous research alone is insufficient to attract market interest. Many technically mature protocols have failed to gain user attention, while some simple projects launched through specific platforms continue to generate stable trading volume.

In response, industry participants are shifting their focus from research to execution. Increasing efforts are concentrated on developing strategic market entry plans, understanding liquidity flows, establishing exchange relationships, and designing user-friendly TOKEN models.

Important Announcement

1. A certain stablecoin issuer plans to launch a new US dollar stablecoin that complies with US regulatory requirements, expected to be released in 2025 to 2026.

2. A trading platform has launched a self-custodial cryptocurrency payment application that offers zero-fee transfer functionality and enables wallet recovery through key sharding technology.

3. Zodia Custody announces the acquisition of Tungsten Custody to establish a regulated business base in the UAE.

4. Mesh has showcased its new integration feature with Apple Pay, allowing users to pay with cryptocurrencies while merchants receive stablecoins.

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

6. A certain institution announced the establishment of a $300 million fund, focusing on investments in modular chains, ZK-rollups, and self-custody solutions.

7. Former PayPal executive David Marcus launched Spark, a native protocol based on the Bitcoin Lightning Network designed for fast and low-cost payments.

Industry Development Trends

1. Stablecoins surpass narratives and become the infrastructure of the digital economy.
2. The enthusiasm for AI is rising, but market sentiment is becoming cautious.
3. Dubai solidifies its status as a Web3 regulatory and capital hub.

The conference emphasized the further consolidation of the existing narrative, particularly around the themes of AI, stablecoins, and real-world assets (RWA). The increase in institutional participation and the ongoing improvement of regulatory frameworks indicate that the market is entering a new phase of structural transformation.

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. Although the attention economy remains an important factor, the market is no longer solely paying for conceptual innovations. Stakeholders are now looking forward to practical applications and clear value propositions. This shift marks a broader maturation of the entire ecosystem, paving the way for more stable, long-term development.