The Top 10 Cryptocurrency Investment Narratives of 2024

With BTC breaking its previous high ($69,000 USD), the cryptocurrency market bull run is confirmed. Only tracks intriguing enough can catch investors' eyes; this article delves into the hottest investment narratives in the current cryptocurrency industry.

Decentralized AI

Decentralized artificial intelligence involves running open-source AI systems on distributed networks such as blockchain, rather than being controlled by a single organization. This approach harnesses the advantages of blockchain technology to democratize artificial intelligence, making it more accessible and usable for everyone.

OpenAI's release of ChatGPT introduces commercially viable AI into the public eye. By combining decentralized artificial intelligence with AI and blockchain, it enables more ordinary individuals to participate in the wave of the AI industry.

For example, projects like Bittensor, Render, and Grass have established an open marketplace where individuals can train machine learning models, contribute computing resources, and share data. This creates a more inclusive and incentivizing environment for artificial intelligence innovation.

Restaking

Restaking is a strategy where investors utilize their already staked assets to earn additional rewards, effectively compounding returns. This is achieved by engaging in further staking opportunities using the staked assets on a secondary platform.

Taking EigenLayer as an example, EigenLayer is a pioneer in the restaking movement, enabling users to restake ETH that has already been staked with various liquidity staking providers. Subsequently, the ETH restaked on EigenLayer will be utilized within its security framework, aimed at extending Ethereum's security guarantees to other applications and blockchains.

BTC L2

Bitcoin Layer 2 solutions (Bitcoin L2) are networks or protocols built on top of the Bitcoin blockchain (L1). They are designed to extend the Bitcoin network by processing transactions off-chain (outside of the Bitcoin blockchain) while inheriting its security and benefiting from its network effects.

Bitcoin L2 has the potential to follow in the footsteps of Ethereum Layer 2's success, unlocking some of the idle capital on Bitcoin. This could drive broader adoption and bring value into the Bitcoin ecosystem.

Modular

Modularity refers to a design approach in cryptocurrencies where blockchains and applications are built using separate, dedicated components or modules. This design philosophy aims to enhance the efficiency and scalability of the technology stack by isolating the functionality of each module from others.

In blockchain development, modularity often involves dividing the architecture into three main layers: execution, settlement, and data availability. The goal of doing so is to make the blockchain cheaper and more scalable through specialization. Different projects focus on different parts of the stack.

Data Availability

Data Availability (DA) ensures that all data required for validating transactions on the blockchain is accessible to anyone who needs it. This is crucial for verifying transactions and maintaining the transparency and security of the chain, as anyone can use this data to reconstruct the entire state of the chain when necessary.

The DA layer provides a novel way to scale blockchain and will become the central hub for publishing data on the blockchain.

DePIN

The Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Network (DePIN) is a system that manages and coordinates real-world physical infrastructure through a decentralized network built on blockchain technology. DePIN aims to enhance efficiency and reduce infrastructure costs by allocating control and ownership to individuals incentivized to participate in the network.

DePIN represents a real-world use case of cryptocurrency and blockchain technology. Synergizing with emerging trends such as the integration of cryptocurrency with artificial intelligence further enhances the relevance of DePIN. The rise of AI agents could increase demand for the resources that DePIN projects can efficiently and cost-effectively provide.

Intent

In the context of blockchain, intent refers to the outcome or final state that users wish to achieve on the chain (such as executing transactions or borrowing assets). The actual implementation is delegated to third-party agents rather than users directly performing these operations. These agents often compete in environments similar to auctions to gain the right to fulfill user intent in the most efficient manner possible.

Intent-centric protocols are at the forefront of DeFi, generating billions of dollars in order flow. They provide crucial opportunities to extract value through fees, MEV, and other means. These projects also have the potential to significantly enhance the DeFi user experience, serving as an abstraction layer that simplifies interactions within the increasingly complex multi-chain ecosystem.

Inscription

Inscription is a technique that involves writing arbitrary data directly onto a single satoshi (the smallest denomination of Bitcoin) — where 1 Bitcoin equals 100,000,000 satoshis. These inscriptions are commonly referred to by the public as “Bitcoin NFTs” and can create unique digital assets on the Bitcoin blockchain. They can also be used to mint BRC-20 tokens based on the experimental BRC-20 standard.

NFTs have emerged as one of the most popular and valuable assets in the cryptocurrency space. Bitcoin holders now have the opportunity to diversify their investments into new Bitcoin-based applications, such as NFTs and BRC-20 tokens, presenting significant potential opportunities.

Parallel EVM

Parallel EVM is an innovative blockchain architecture designed to overcome the scalability challenges faced by standard EVMs (Ethereum Virtual Machines). It achieves this by parallelizing the execution of transactions (processing multiple independent transactions simultaneously instead of sequentially), thereby increasing throughput and improving user experience.

Parallel EVM leverages the established network effects and developer ecosystem of EVM while also incorporating parallel processing techniques that contribute to the rapid execution speeds of Solana. By offering a blend of EVM compatibility and high-speed transaction processing, these platforms have immense potential.

RWA

RWA, or Real World Assets, encompasses a wide range of tangible and intangible assets such as gold, real estate, commodities, stocks, and fiat currencies like the US dollar, whose intrinsic value exists outside the blockchain ecosystem. The tokenization of these assets brings them onto the blockchain, offering innovative ways for their trading, management, and valuation.

RWA protocols have the potential to tokenize nearly all assets worldwide and bring them onto the blockchain, tapping into a potential market worth trillions of dollars. With more asset classes being tokenized, the scope of RWA is expected to significantly expand.