Decentralized chatbots, government bonds onchain — a16z’s 2025 crypto trends
Venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) has named the key sectors in the crypto industry in the coming year, with use cases for tokenization and the integration of artificial intelligence with blockchain technology as growth drivers.
According to a16z report, AI-based applications and running onchain are expected to present at least three new trends in the industry: wallets powered by AI agents, decentralized chatbots, and human identity verification solutions. The organization addresses the use of decentralized chatbots in trusted execution environments for social media content and asset management:
“A chatbot integrated with a permissionless set of nodes and a consensus protocol could be the first truly autonomous billion-dollar entity.”
Another upcoming trend predicted for 2025 is tied to statcoins. In the past few months, the sector has established a suitable market for international financial transactions, with several companies and protocols launching new stablecoins pegged to the US dollar. Starting next year, a16z predicts that stablecoin will gradually replace daily credit card transactions:
“Small/mid-sized businesses with strong brands, captive audiences and painful payment costs — like restaurants, coffee shops, corner stores — will be the first to switch from credit cards.”
The venture firm manages more than $44 billion in assets and is one of the most active VCs in the Web3 space. The dedicated crypto arm supports more than 100 blockchain startups, including Coinbase, Solana, OpenSea, Near, Worldcoin and Uniswap.
Related: Stablecoin trading volume rises to $1.8T in November
Token: government bonds, rare assets onchain
By 2025, more “unusual assets” are expected to come on stream as infrastructure grows. The VC firm predicts that previously overlooked assets such as biometric data will create new revenue streams.
“Individuals can tokenize their own biometric data; then lease that data to companies through smart contracts,” the report says, adding that medical data collection through decentralized scientific protocols is already possible, allowing users to tap into previously untapped resources.
On-chain trading of government bonds is another prospect for 2025 and beyond. A market for tokens backed by government securities launched in 2024, backed by institutional digital assets. Going forward, a16z expects governments to explore the benefits of chain lending themselves:
“The UK, for example, is already exploring digital securities sandboxing with their financial body, the FCA (Financial Conduct Authority). HM Treasury/Exchequer has shown interest in digital offerings.
RELATED: If Trump clears the way, tokenism could transform US markets.
