Web3 to Watch in 2022: A to Z Edition
From the worlds of Crypto, NFTs, GameFi and more, it’s the movers and shakers of Web3 2022, now in handy alphabetical order!
A
Alien Worlds. People love to talk about Axie Infinity, but Alien Worlds has a player base more than twice as big and a solid recipe for success: a small, nimble dev team that understands the needs to make it about the game first and foremost. AW represents the trend essential for moving GameFi into the mainstream.
B
BlockbusterDAO. Saddened by the DAO that was unable to successfully purchase an original draft of the U.S. Constitution? We’ve got a new posse of heroes for ’22, and they’re banding together to decentrally bring back Blockbuster Video as both a studio and a streaming platform.
C
Cryptopunks. The Apes may have brought all the thunder in 2021, but lest we forget that the Punks were the first to capture lightning in a bottle. We’re thinking 2022 is the year they regain some of their pixelated mojo.
D
Discord. Also would have accepted “discourse” as that’s what’s moving rapidly from social media channels to the community-focused platform. Soon you might be able to switch Twitter alerts “off” and move over to Discord to hear from the people who are really making a difference in the industry.
E
Ethereum 2.0. The world continues to wait for the most anticipated sequel of the year. But will it be Godfather II and exceed the accomplishments of the original? Or are there too many competitors in the space with green credentials stealing market share, making it more of a…Weekend at Bernie’s II?
F
Flow. If you believe that blockchain gaming is going to have a big year (and we do) then by association you believe in Flow, which is quickly becoming the destination of choice for smart, transaction-focused GameFi projects.
G
GameFi. One term to unite them all. GameFi will become the universal method of referring to all gaming projects that incorporate decentralized finance (play-to-earn, blockchain, NFT, etc.).
H
Hype. There’s a time for hype and a time for work. In 2022, we see who will lead the way into our Web3 future not because of the quality of their pitch or the bottle service they provide, but rather the forward-thinking, sustainable nature of their work.
I
Interoperability. The term has been around for a while in discussions about the Metaverse and the blockchain, but with so many different worlds, chains, avatars being launched every day, the need for all of them to communicate with each other is absolutely essential to the realizing the dream.
K
Kimbal Musk. Noted philanthropist, brother-of-Elon, and Dwight Yoakam doppelganger, Kimbal Musk is creating a DAO that gets money in the hands of vital charities, and those traditionally underserved by centralized banking.
L
Layer 2. Because like all of us, Layer 1 of the Ethereum Mainnet could really use a vacation. Look for more prominent projects to adopt this cleaner, less-congested means of mining.
M
Mintable. With his new platform, Mark Cuban is on a mission to help everyday folks like us create their own NFTs. Doubt the Maverick Shark’s ability to pull it off at your own risk.
N
NFL All Day. Dapper Labs sophomore sports highlight effort tackles the NFL, and is a huge litmus test for the digital collectibles industry. Does this all go mainstream in 2022, or are NBA fans simply more tech-savvy than most? The biggest sport in the U S of A should help provide some answers.
O
OpenSea. The leading NFT marketplace is already off to a great 2022, with their most recent round of funding landing them a valuation of $13.3. Billion. That’s a hell of a lot of Mutant Apes.
P
Project Cambria. Nobody knows exactly what META’s top secret VR project is all about, but Mark Zuckerberg’s investment in the Metaverse would lead one to believe it’s going to include a revamped approach to Oculus. Oh, and Arizona Sunshine. Lots and lots of Arizona Sunshine.
Q
Quentin Tarantino. The Pulp Fiction NFTs may be a hit or a miss, but it’s the lawsuit initiated by Miramax, the holder of the film’s IP that has the digital arts and entertainment world buzzing, as decisions made in the case could act as a strong precedent in terms of who owns what in the space.
R
Regulation. The word is currently creating sleepless nights, and unexpected dips, in every corner of the crypto community. Most believe the US government is too divided to make the call, but other countries have had no such problem bringing the hammer down.
S
Solana. In the span of just a few years, Solana has grown into the fourth biggest open source blockchain in the world. It’s been heralded as the “ETH killer” but will it still be competitive once a green Ethereum 2.0 enters the picture?
T
Trend Lists. When you’re new, people talk about you at parties. When you’ve become an established part of the world, you get witty trend lists written in your honor. Welcome to the establishment, Web3!
U
Utility. As we begin to see a slowdown in some NFT sectors, we are just scratching the surface of what NFTs can do in terms of utility. From club memberships to gaming items and beyond, how we use non-fungible tokens is going to gain momentum in ‘22.
V
Verification. And speaking of utility, experts see an exciting and profitable future for NFTs that act as an undisputable and trusted identification card — be it for social media, fancy parties or one day even the DMV.
W
Wax. Accessible and loaded with pop culture relevance, Wax continues it’s steady march into our hearts and wallets. New partnerships and fiat payment options make this the most fun you can have on the blockchain.
X
XR. Extended Reality (or “XR”) refers to all the other “R’s” such as VR, AR and our favorite RR (realer than real reality). OK , we made that last one up, but still look for XR to become a more commonly used term in the years ahead and developers come to embrace the fact that the R’s work best when they all work together.
Y
Yachts. Bored apes. A virtual luxury vessel sold for many ETH. The yacht is back. We’re calling it. Ahoy, there!
Z
Zeromint. No matter when ETH 2.0 arrives or how much it delivers on its promises, the year ahead is set up perfectly for a leading near-zero emissions NFT marketplace to succeed.
