Blockchain technology is without a doubt one of the most significant breakthroughs of the last decade, with ramifications in a variety of industries ranging from manufacturing to Fintech and education. Blockchain technology has the potential to change the way people transact and trade around the world, as well as a number of internet services we use. We attempted to look at the most important developing blockchain development trends this year. Here are the latest blockchain developments that we’re likely to see this year, ranging from stable currencies to interoperability.
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1. Rise of NFTs
The rise of non-fungible tokens is one of the most intriguing developments in the crypto realm (NFTs). Over the last five years, search interest in “non-fungible tokens” has increased by 99x+. These tokens are essentially digital claims to a one-of-a-kind product or asset. They can represent a digital or real object.
Mainstream Adoption of NFTs in Art and Collectibles
Now, NFTs became more mainstream. And they’re expected to be a big part of the crypto scene in the future. Fungible tokens, like bitcoin, may not always reflect a claim to an actual asset or item. They can be traded and broken down into smaller chunks.
Domain names, real or digital artwork, collectibles, and video game add-ons, on the other hand, are all represented by NFTs. Most NFTs feature embedded smart contracts that specify the digital or physical product they represent, and are often created on the Ethereum blockchain. They are not, for the most part, divisible like fungible tokens (though that is changing).
It’s difficult to estimate the whole size of this market because it’s so fragmented. However, looking at individual NFT systems can give us a general idea.
The NFT market has shown notable developments and shifts as of January 2024. The trading volume on the Solana blockchain has been particularly significant, with a weekly trading volume reaching $62 million. Solana has emerged as a strong contender to Ethereum in the NFT space, boasting a total monthly trading volume nearing $190 million. This positions Solana as one of the leading blockchains for NFTs, trailing closely behind Bitcoin in terms of market share.
Meanwhile, the Ethereum NFT market also saw substantial activity, with a peak trading volume of $42.7 million mid-January, marking the highest since June 2023. Ethereum remains a major player in the NFT ecosystem, especially noted for the high-value trades like that of a CryptoPunk collectible which sold for a remarkable 205 Ethereum, approximately $507,617.
The overall NFT market remains vibrant, with several marketplaces witnessing high trading volumes. Blur led with $16.9 million, followed by OKX and OpenSea, showcasing the active participation and interest of traders and collectors in the NFT space as of early 2024.
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Case Studies: NBA Top Shot and Crypto Collectibles
NBA Top Shot has maintained a significant presence in the NFT marketplace, continuing to see substantial trading volumes. As of early 2024, NBA Top Shot recorded a remarkable single-day trading volume of $32 million, showcasing sustained interest and activity in the platform. Throughout the year, monthly sales volumes frequently exceeded $200 million, confirming its popularity and the high demand for NBA memorabilia in digital form.
These figures reflect a vibrant market for NBA Top Shot, underlining its position as a leading platform for sports-related NFTs. This performance suggests that NBA Top Shot remains a key player in the NFT space, competing strongly with other marketplaces and attracting a global audience of sports fans and collectors.
2. The Rise of Federated Blockchains (Consortium Blockchain) is Predicted
Federated Blockchain is, in reality, one of the most promising blockchain trends now available. It’s just a more advanced version of the basic blockchain paradigm, which makes it ideal for a variety of applications. Instead of following a single secure, trustworthy node, the federated blockchain works under many authorities.
Predictions for Federated Blockchain Applications
According to experts, the use of federated blockchain will expand in 2025 because it enables private blockchain – a more personalised outlook. Federated blockchains are conceptually similar to private blockchains, but with a few additional capabilities.
Unlike private blockchain, which is controlled by a single organisation, federated blockchain allows several authorities to control pre-selected nodes. This chosen group of nodes can validate the block in order to continue processing the transactions.
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3. Cryptocurrency will be dominated by stablecoins
Blockchain technology allows for the creation of cryptocurrencies. Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies run on their own blockchain platforms. The price of several cryptocurrencies is more volatile than the price of traditional assets. Though stablecoins are still in their infancy, it is expected that by 2019-20, they will have reached their all-time high. The stable coin’s high worth will make it the industry’s second most anticipated emerging technology trend.
As the name implies, these high-value stablecoins are more stable and don’t vary as much, so users don’t have to worry about currency crashes. Users can invest in additional cryptocurrencies because of this stability feature.
4. Blockchain as a Service (BaaS)
BaaS, or Blockchain As A Service, is another growing blockchain trend. BaaS is a new blockchain trend that has already been adopted by a number of businesses and startups.
BaaS is a cloud-based service that allows customers to create their own digital products using blockchain technology. The majority of these digital items are smart contracts or applications that can function without the need for a full blockchain-based infrastructure to be put up. Microsoft and Amazon are just a few of the well-known corporations working on blockchain applications that offer BaaS.
5. Social Networking is Expected to Be Transformed by Blockchain
Our daily lives have become increasingly reliant on social networking. According to Statista, there will be more than 2.77 billion social media users in the world in 2019.
The use of blockchain in social media will be able to address issues such as privacy violations, well-publicized scandals, data control, and content relevance. As a result, another growing technology trend is the incorporation of blockchain into the social media sector.
The use of blockchain in social media would ensure that any material published in the social media sphere is untraceable and unreplicable, even after it has been deleted. Furthermore, users will be able to keep data more safely and retain control. The power of content relevance is in the hands of individuals who developed it, not the platform owners, thanks to blockchain technology, which gives users a sense of security.
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6. Interoperability Among Blockchain Communities
Users can easily transfer funds from one blockchain network to another thanks to blockchain interoperability. To put it another way, blockchain interoperability refers to the capacity to communicate data and other information between different blockchain systems and networks. This feature allows users to view and access data from many blockchain networks with ease. Users can move data from one EOS blockchain to another Ethereum blockchain, for example. This function also includes a number of different features, such as cross-chain transactions and multi-token transactions.
7. Legal and Contractual Innovations: Ricardian Contracts’ Ascension
A Ricardian contract is a human-readable legal agreement that is also agreed upon and signed by both parties to the deal. Following that, it is transformed into a machine-readable contract that clearly states both parties’ stated goals.
The Ricardian contract’s flow can readily automate activities on numerous blockchain apps that use this technology. Ricardian contracts are smart contracts that can be read by both machines and humans.
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8. Rise of Hybrid Blockchain Solutions
Hybrid Blockchains are a new type of blockchain that combines the advantages of both
In the blockchain world, hybrid blockchain is a new concept. It can be defined as a blockchain that tries to combine the best features of both public and private blockchain solutions. Hybrid blockchain runs in a closed ecosystem, ensuring the security of all data on the network.
Transaction costs are reported to be substantially lower with hybrid blockchains since the network’s prominent nodes make the process of verifying transactions simple and speedy. Another benefit is that it guards against more than half of all assaults because hackers are unable to obtain access to the blockchain network.
9. Content Streaming Will Become More Secure With Blockchain
Content Streaming is one of the next blockchain technology trends for 2025, and it will become quite popular in the near future. Netflix and Hulu, two popular movie streaming services, can employ blockchain technology to store customer data in a more secure and accessible manner.
Companies that broadcast video, music, or social media can also use blockchain technology, which allows third parties to not only read but also publish content on the blockchain. The Blockchain promises to provide smart-contract technology, which will allow video material to be stored and exchanged in a highly protected and safe environment.
10. Enterprise Blockchain Adoption Has Been Accelerated
Now several tech advancements has compelled firms to rethink their processes and automate their operations in order to keep their day-to-day operations running. Managers have grasped the need of embracing new technology and incorporating them into their operations sooner rather than later.
Security, smart contracts, quick auditability, and trust have all been identified as requirements by businesses. Blockchain technology will help in the delivery of solutions that promote trust and transparency. Blockchain databases and features will continue to be used by businesses in their solutions.
11. Innovations With Blockchain in Digital Art and Identity on the Rise
Non-fungible Tokens are becoming increasingly popular in games, digital asset exchanges, and blockchain platforms. NFTs make digital scarcity possible. This means that an NFT can only hold a single copy of a unique digital item that cannot be duplicated. The game Crypto Kitties was the first to popularise NFTs, but since then, other digital art projects and enterprises have emerged online. NFTs can be used to digitise and exchange in-game assets.
Another area that non-fungible tokens are poised to impact is digital rights management.
Secure Digital Identity
When we transact over the internet, we leave large digital footprints. Digital identification solutions will assist us in securing our online presence and reducing online fraud and identity theft significantly. Data is stored in a decentralised, trusted, and unchangeable manner using blockchain technology. A user’s single digital identity can be stored in a secure and incorruptible manner using blockchains. This single digital identification can always be updated with the most up-to-date user data. Online platforms are developing and integrating a number of digital identity solutions. This tendency is expected to continue this year.
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Last Thoughts
With all of these recent blockchain technology advancements, it’s easy to predict that 2025 will be a pivotal year for this developing technology across a variety of industries. Lower transaction costs, security from cyber-attacks, the ability to update the laws, and the ability to operate in a closed environment are all advantages of blockchain technology. As a result, there’s no doubting that blockchain technology will have an impact on a variety of industry verticals.
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