The Rise of DeFi, TradFi, and AI by 2025 — Why WAX Blockchain Could Be a Game-Changer
Intro: My Experience at Web Summit
I was at Web Summit in Lisbon last November. It was huge — over 71,000 people showed up. It felt like the biggest gathering I’d ever seen for tech. AI was everywhere: there were booths demoing machine learning, AI-powered tools, chatbots, and more. But right beside all the AI hype, I noticed something else: Decentralized Finance (DeFi).
A lot of the crypto/blockchain projects I spoke with were focused on building DeFi products for 2025. They mentioned how there’s more clarity with regulations now, Wall Street is getting involved, and new kinds of derivatives are on the way. Throw AI into the mix, and it’s pretty clear our financial world is about to change in a big way.
As part of the bountyblok team — a WAX Block Producer since 2019 — I’ve been deeply involved in the WAX ecosystem for years, so I was especially curious to see how these DeFi innovations would tie into WAX. Here’s what I saw and why I believe WAX is well-positioned to lead the charge as we approach 2025.
Why AI and DeFi Matter Together
AI is Taking Over
AI isn’t just about fun chatbots or generating images. At Web Summit, people were talking about AI managing financial strategies, analyzing massive amounts of data, and executing trades faster than any human. This can transform how we do DeFi. Imagine AI agents balancing your crypto portfolio or predicting market changes in real-time.
TradFi is Joining In
TradFi (traditional finance) giants are no longer ignoring crypto. Many banks and financial institutions are testing out DeFi platforms, building internal blockchain teams, or investing in crypto startups. With clearer regulations, they feel safer diving into this space. The end result could be major banks offering DeFi services and tokenized stocks, bonds, or commodities — things we’ve only talked about in theory until now.
What’s the Big Deal About 2025?
- Regulations: Governments are finally catching up to crypto. Clearer rules mean banks and big companies can jump in.
- AI Maturity: AI tools are getting better, which will make automated trading and yield farming more accessible.
- Consumer Awareness: More people understand crypto than ever. It’s not just a niche hobby now.
- Real Products: By 2025, it won’t just be pilot projects. Fully-fledged platforms and apps will be live, tested, and ready for mainstream users.
Why WAX Blockchain Is Ready for Prime Time
While Ethereum and other networks get most of the spotlight, WAX (Worldwide Asset eXchange) has been quietly running strong since 2019. It originally focused heavily on NFTs and gaming, building a large user base and robust infrastructure along the way. Here are some quick stats that show how WAX has scaled:
- 200K+ Active Wallets
- 15.3M+ Total Accounts
- Over 3K Transactions Per Second
- 450M+ NFTs Minted
- Running Smoothly for Almost 6 Years
- No outages ever
With this kind of throughput and proven stability, WAX is well-positioned to handle more complex use cases beyond NFTs.
Why WAX Is Worth Watching
- High Throughput, Low Fees: WAX can process thousands of transactions per second, making it perfect for quick trades and transactions (which AI bots love).
- Reliability: It’s been live for almost six years and hasn’t really had major downtime. That’s important if you’re running financial applications.
- Easy Onboarding: WAX is known for user-friendly wallets and account creation. People new to crypto can get started without too much hassle.
- Built-In Community: WAX’s strong NFT and gaming scene draws in a lot of users. This also creates more opportunities for DeFi projects to gain traction.
Current DeFi Apps on WAX
Though many people still associate WAX mainly with NFTs and gaming, it has actually evolved into a solid DeFi platform as well. If you’re curious, here are a few DeFi apps worth checking out:
Stake & Earn with WAXP
- WaxBlock lets you stake your WAXP tokens.
- You can earn ~8% APY by voting for block producers.
- Make sure to refresh your stake weekly to maximize earnings.
Liquid Staking with WAXFusion
- WAXFusion allows you to stake tokens and keep them liquid.
- You earn multiple streams of rewards and can benefit from the POL Flywheel system.
Liquidity Pools on Alcor Exchange
- Alcor is a popular decentralized exchange on WAX.
- You can provide liquidity and earn trading fees.
- There’s also TacoSwap for additional DeFi farming options.
WAXP on Uniswap
- The official WAXP pool on Ethereum can be found via Uniswap.
- Providing liquidity here helps bridge WAXP to Ethereum, attracting new users from outside the WAX ecosystem.
Looking Ahead
By 2025, I expect AI-powered trading strategies, tokenized assets, and big TradFi names to be all over DeFi. WAX, with its proven track record and ability to handle large volumes, is positioned to handle the surge of new users and projects.
From my conversations at Web Summit, it’s clear that AI and crypto are converging. Whether you’re new to DeFi or a seasoned trader, now is a great time to explore what WAX has to offer. With its user-friendly setup, you can dive into staking, liquidity pools, or just keep an eye on the evolving ecosystem.
