I separated 10 of my favorite trends involving Blockchain, AI, Web3, NFTs, and Metaverse for this year. Before we get started:

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1) There is an AI for that

In the past decades we had phases such as “There is a software for that" or "There is an app for that".

Now, we are entering a new phase. With the exponential growth of AI and a lot of hype involved, we have seen the abysmal emergence of AIs focused on the most diverse areas: text, image, video, marketing assets, speech, 3D, and much more. Check this website to explore 500+ AI tools for different use cases.

2) A New Era for AI

AI has been used for years by tech giants like Netflix, Spotify, YouTube, Google, Amazon, and more.

2023 will mark a new phase of AI tools focused on the end user, not just enterprises. The success of ChatGPT and all platforms created using the OpenAI API show that there is a lot of appetite for it, far beyond enterprise use.

Of course, as with all new technology, there will be a lot of hype and a lot of noise, but like Blockchain, AI is a revolutionary technology that will go through bubbles, but will only get stronger over time.

3) Open Source AI

With the growth of AI platforms, and especially its most prominent player - OpenAI, which, according to rumors, could be worth something close to 30 billion dollars - we will have more and more questions about the ethical values ​​of these platforms remaining closed. Thus, we will see an explosion of Open Source alternatives emulating closed AI platforms. This movement already started and should just get bigger.

4) NFTs can be boring

After almost 2 years of use cases focused on industries such as entertainment, media, and sports, it is quite possible that we will start to see use cases for NFTs focused on more traditional industries such as healthcare, education and supply chain.

Of course, we're nowhere near seeing all the use cases for entertainment, media, and sports, as this industry is just getting started.

However, we may have a shift in focus from many builders to build NFTs for use cases beyond gaming and PFPs, focusing on more traditional industries and more "boring" use cases.

5) Web2 Companies to begin looking at potential acquisitions of Web3 Native Companies

Web2 giants will begin to look more closely at opportunities to acquire Web3 Native Companies.

Maybe many of these acquisitions won't happen this year, because of the whole macro scenario - although bolder companies can take advantage of the valuation devaluation that is certainly affecting Web3 companies. Even so, it is quite possible that many of the deals that only happen next year could start to be studied this year, preparing the ground for when the bull market returns.

Acquisition has still been a much underused strategy for Web2 giants to break into Web3.

The biggest case of success to date was the acquisition of RTFKT by Nike.

“This acquisition is another step that accelerates Nike’s digital transformation and allows us to serve athletes and creators at the intersection of sport, creativity, gaming and culture,” says John Donahoe, President and CEO of NIKE, Inc. “We’re acquiring a very talented team of creators with an authentic and connected brand. Our plan is to invest in the RTFKT brand, serve and grow their innovative and creative community and extend Nike’s digital footprint and capabilities.”

6) Different types of NFTs start to gain traction

PFPs are likely to be very relevant for a long time to come as they are a perfect bridge between Web2 and Web3.

However, we're going to see a lot more traction and attention going to other types of NFTs, like music and writing (just like this article).

7) Consolidation of NFT Collections

You've probably heard that 99% of NFT collections will either go to 0 or not survive. And that remains true.

For every collection that dies, the larger collections become stronger, despite the bear market.

NFTs are just getting started, to be sure, but already we can see a consolidation of certain brands native to this world, the most obvious being BAYC, but also Doodles, Moonbirds, and more. The longer these collections survive, the greater the chances that they will become extremely relevant brands over the next few years, and not just for the degen public, but for the mainstream public who will consume products or events from these brands without even knowing that there are NFTs involved.

8) Blockchain: Back to the basics

After a few years of frenzy and bull market, with NFTs bubbles, tokens appearing and disappearing and frauds like FTX, we will look at a back to the basics for Blockchain, problems it solves and use cases that really make sense for the end user.

Today's super relevant Blockchain companies were founded right around the time of the last big bear market (around 2017), like OpenSea, Alchemy, Polygon, Dapper Labs, and more.

So the next few months will be tough. But in 2028 we will look back to see that some of the most relevant blockchain companies of the year were founded in 2022 and 2023.

9) Decentralized Storage continues to build momentum, little by little

Decentralized Storage is still far from mass adoption, but companies like Filecoin and Arweave are leading the way in a new form of blockchain-based file storage.

In my view, this area remains one of the most promising on Web3, but one that very few people talk about or pay attention to.

10) Metaverse Rebranding

The definition of the Metaverse by leading experts in the field, such as Matthew Ball, requires a level of interoperability and integration (and also hardware) that, frankly, we may still be a long way off.

Thus, it is necessary that we seek new visions or concepts of what is, after all, the Metaverse, so that we can continue to attract enterprises and users for engaging experiences, not just for PR activations saying "Company X enters the Metaverse".

1. This article is an NFT. Collect it if you enjoyed reading it :) 100 editions available.

2. Follow me on LinkedIn.

3. If you want to book me for speaking engagements, advisory or mentoring, click here.