2022 is shaping up to be an exciting year for the blockchain industry. Cryptocurrencies have proven to be a global hit, and we’re also seeing significant expansion in different other sub-industries of the market.
All of these point to transformation for the blockchain landscape, which should boost the use of this technological concept across the board. Heading into this year, there is a lot that inventors should consider as the blockchain continues to be more involved in daily life.
With that in mind, investors would want to know some of the top trends to look out for so as to put themselves in the right position to earn.
The Growth of Blockchain Gaming
In the latter part of 2021, the blockchain gaming landscape exploded. These games have become especially popular, coasting off the hype surrounding names like Decentraland and Axie Infinity. Today, more games are looking to harness the power of the play-to-earn model and optimize for new users.
At the same time, it goes without saying that a lot of people will also be enamored by the opportunity to earn more money doing what they love the most - playing games. Right now, we’re seeing more people choosing to earn coins and tokens from a fun activity and channeling that towards other activities like cryptocurrency trading. At the end of the day, it only goes to grow the blockchain industry.
Interestingly, there is also an external ecosystem growing around blockchain gaming. Platforms are now dedicating themselves towards helping people to earn money using blockchain gaming- both by onboarding and funding.
A perfect example of this is the . The DAO is an international blockchain gaming incubator that offers resources and onboarding help for people to get started with blockchain games. Meta DAO Guild was founded on the premise that blockchain games can provide an opportunity for everyday people to earn money. However, the barriers to entry are starting to rise, and many prospective gamers might be confused about how to get started. So, the platform focuses on offering the right kind of help to these people.
Central Bank Digital Currencies
Central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) are here to stay. There is absolutely no denying that. The trend began with China two years ago, but it has since expanded significantly and now, more than 50 countries of the world are looking to issue their own CBDCs.
Things got even more interesting in March 2022 when President Joe Biden ordered the Federal Reserve to begin working on studies into a potential digital dollar. This is the first time that the U.S. government will openly acknowledge working on a CBDC, and it changes the paradigm for everyone.
There are many questions surrounding CBDCs right now - how will they work? What are the technologies that will underpin their performance? What will the nature of cross-border payments be when CBDC comes to the party? All of these are expected to shape the future of CBDCs - and, in more ways than one, the future of global finance as well.
If there is one thing that everyone is talking about right now, it is the metaverse. Big companies are investing big bucks into what they believe will be an immersive experience for everyone, and the metaverse is now getting more and more airtime.
Currently, the crypto and blockchain sector already has its iteration of the metaverse. Platforms like The Sandbox and Decentraland are bringing people into immersive virtual worlds where they can enjoy live experiences and buy digital assets.
At the same time, these platforms are now inking deals with global brands for more awareness and hype.
Interestingly, we’re also seeing the emergence of big companies building out their vision of the metaverse. The lines of distinction between a metaverse developed by Met and one developed by Microsoft will be interesting to see. Regardless of what these lines are, the truth remains that the metaverse could be a lifetime opportunity for many companies, and blockchain is sure to play a part in bringing it to life.
Sustained interest in NFTs
NFTs aren’t a trend that blew up in 2022. They became a global hit last year, but they've continued to grow from strength to strength.
To be fair, NFT mania has slowed down from the heydays of 2021. However, this appears to be an adjustment period that could lead to sustained activity. There are still many artists who would prefer to mint their work as NFTs, and there are also many more people looking to learn how they can make money from these tokens.
Some of the biggest names in the NFT space have managed to capitalize on the popularity of these tokens and are now raising massive funds as they continue to expand and bring the tokens further into the limelight.
NFTs should also see some gains thanks to their affiliation with another rising trend - blockchain games. Today several blockchain gaming platforms reward their players with NFTs as they believe the tokens might be the best way for them to optimize and retain their customers. All of this points to increased adoption, and since NFTs run on blockchains, they should be a major boost for the technology itself.
