TOKEN2049 Dubai Conference: The cryptocurrency industry turns to practicality and infrastructure development

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TOKEN2049 Dubai Conference Review: Deep Industry Changes and Emerging Trends

The recently held TOKEN2049 Dubai conference once again highlighted 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.

Dubai TOKEN2049 Review: Deep Changes and Insights Beyond the Spotlight

Important Trends Revealed in the Meeting Agenda

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 artificial intelligence (11%). Notably, the combined proportion of stablecoins (8.7%) and real-world assets (RWA, 5.5%) has surpassed that of artificial intelligence. This reflects the growing market interest in blockchain applications with direct practical utility.

In the DeFi discussions, industry perspectives are more mature compared to previous years. Instead of focusing on replacing traditional finance, the emphasis has shifted to how decentralized systems can complement existing institutions. This is also consistent with the overall industry's trend towards regulatory participation and institutional adoption.

Another significant change is the increasing focus on the Solana ecosystem. Despite having suffered a heavy blow in the past, the Solana ecosystem has successfully rebounded, and its presence on stage and the heat of technical discussions have even surpassed that of Ethereum. This shift in ecological dynamics is worth paying close attention to, as it could become a turning point in the Layer 1 blockchain landscape.

Overall, the main stage of the conference showcased a more down-to-earth and pragmatic way of thinking. The core discussions revolved around the drivers of long-term growth, including regulation, financial integration, infrastructure development, and artificial intelligence.

Deep Reform

Stablecoins become infrastructure

Stablecoins have now established themselves as a core infrastructure of the digital economy and are viewed as a key opportunity in the Web3 space. There is an increasing consensus that stablecoin transactions will extend from on-chain activities to the real economy, potentially forming a market with a scale of trillions of dollars.

With the consolidation of this viewpoint, the industry's focus has shifted from simple integration to control over the payment layer. The goal is not just to stay at the issuance stage, but to extend to building end-to-end financial infrastructure. Web3 projects and institutions are ramping up efforts to secure a leadership position in the stablecoin technology stack.

AI in Encryption: Bright Prospects but Still Needs Time

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

Despite these concerns, there remains 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. These are seen as long-term opportunities rather than short-term trends, and are expected to gradually gain attention once the current market turmoil subsides.

Node sales trends spark controversy

A notable trend at the conference is the increasing attention to node sales related to physical devices. By opening up node operations to a broader audience, these initiatives are seen as an important step towards greater decentralization and the redistribution of participation opportunities.

However, some participants are skeptical of this trend. They question whether these sales are merely retail financing strategies packaged as ecosystem participation. Criticism mainly focuses on the exaggerated reward structures, unclear token models, and the lack of meaningful network activity to support the sales.

Technology is no longer the only winning formula.

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

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

Dubai TOKEN2049 Review: Deep Changes and Insights Beyond the Spotlight

Important Announcement

  • A stablecoin issuer plans to launch a new dollar-pegged stablecoin that complies with U.S. regulations.

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

  • A custody service provider has announced its acquisition to establish a regulated business base in the UAE and has revealed new custody partnerships.

  • A payment company showcased new integration features with mainstream payment systems, allowing users to pay with cryptocurrencies while merchants receive stablecoins.

  • A fund in Abu Dhabi completed a $2 billion investment in a trading platform using stablecoins.

  • A venture capital firm announced the establishment of a $300 million fund, focusing on investments in modular chains, ZK-rollups, and self-custody solutions.

  • A well-known executive has launched a native payment protocol based on the Bitcoin Lightning Network, aimed at achieving fast and low-cost payments.

New Stage of Industry Development

This conference clearly showcased the transformation in the cryptocurrency industry—from a focus on speculative enthusiasm to practical applications and infrastructure development. Three key thematic directions emerged:

  1. Stablecoins transcend narratives and become the infrastructure of the digital economy.
  2. The enthusiasm for AI 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.

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

Dubai TOKEN2049 Review: Deep Changes and Insights Beyond the Spotlight

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VCsSuckMyLiquidityvip
· 2h ago
Still bragging about AI, aren't you afraid it will crash?
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ChainPoetvip
· 10h ago
There is still potential in this wave of DeFi.
View OriginalReply0
OnchainHolmesvip
· 07-26 18:06
Per capita CEX DEX
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SilentObservervip
· 07-26 01:17
Is it those old clichés again?
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LoneValidatorvip
· 07-24 21:27
It's starting to have that flavor.
View OriginalReply0
GateUser-aa7df71evip
· 07-24 21:21
Again boasting about AI and Decentralized Finance, in the end, the ones losing are the suckers.
View OriginalReply0
StableGeniusDegenvip
· 07-24 21:19
Infrastructure is the main focus, okay?
View OriginalReply0
ConsensusBotvip
· 07-24 21:09
Earning coins is important, the industry transformation will take time.
View OriginalReply0
ApeWithAPlanvip
· 07-24 21:05
It has been said many times before, speculation turns into production.
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