The following is a guest post through Lukas Schor, co-founder of Safe.
2024 has been a crucial year for Defi. Practical applications for smart accounts are already in use. Large milestones of the infrastructure such as chain abstraction, together with a positive market sentiment and consistent growth, will make a return to Fundamentals possible in the coming year. This means products that deliver real value for users who really bring about the digital world. Here are some of the developments to expect in 2025:
1. At least 20% of the Ethereum users will rely on smart accounts with EIP-7702
In just the first quarter of 2024, private key compromises cost the industry about it $ 239 million in losses. Smart accounts promise to unlock a safe, more adjustable user experience, but widespread acceptance requires a complete overhaul of existing Defi infrastructure. After the launch of the ERC-4337 standard in March 2023, the acceptance of Smart Account was relatively slow. Although it was performed in 2024, smart accounts are by no means omnipresent.
Ethereum’s upcoming pectra -upgradePlanned for 2025, EIP-7702 includes a new standard with which external ownership accounts (EOAs) can perform smart contract code directly from their addresses, so that EOAS gets part of the functionality of smart accounts. With this standard, the private key retains full control over the account, which means a security risk is conducted and the recovery of the account is restrictive. Nevertheless, EIP-7702 will play a crucial role in the transition period while the industry continues to build a smart account infrastructure.
The user’s demand for more accessibility, security and efficiency will stimulate acceptance, and that is why we expect that at least 20% of Ethereum users will have moved to EIP-7702 compatible smart accounts in 2025.
2. Half of all Defi users navigates several block chains from a single uniform interface
When we start seeing Mainstream adoption In the next five years we have to abstract blockchain technology from user experience. Smart accounts are the ideal basis for chain abstraction. Because of their programmable character, smart accounts can embed the chain abstraction directly into users’ accounts and free them from infrastructure overload.
Safe Works actively on a solution for this. Of Safenetwhich will be launched this year. We imagine an account where users can view all your assets, regardless of the chain they come, all at the same time, making multichain transactions easily completed. Already, Safe Accounts are a Defi pillar, where ~ 7.6% of all USDC, 9.4% of the Cypherpunks and more than ~ $ 100 billion in digital assets are stored.
Safe Accounts support applications such as FileA decentralized competitor of GSUuite, OSNAPa tool for Onchain -Governance, and Bulla -BankierA bankless web3 protocol for invoices and payments in crypto. Bringing chain abstraction to smart accounts – simplify Defi with regard to arrival – will unlock a serious potential for the decentralized economy.
3. AI-driven agents will perform at least 20% of all Defi-trading volume on the chain
2025 will be the year in which the integration of AI agents And smart accounts leaves. Imagine a ruthless, intelligent entity that works around the clock to manage your crypto portfolio. Imagine that smart accounts improve the AI agents, allowing users to set up budget guardrails and take safety measures such as recovery accounts. The revolution is already underway – more than half of all monthly Safe Transactions are on Gnosis chain OlasA decentralized network driven by autonomous agents.
The integration of AI agents and smart accounts goes beyond autonomous trade. Web3 gaming will be transformed, with agents who perform tasks, such as collecting sources, crafts and fighting, making players more fascinating, dynamic and personalized experiences. In prediction markets, AI agents will analyze large pieces of data, which considerably reduces the access barrier for the average user. In 2025, smart accounts will increase the work of autonomous agents, Defi reforms and push the decentralized economy to the world.
4. Three major global financial institutions will integrate cross -border settlements based on Stablecoin
Trying to make up for global TradeFi institutions. In Q2 of 2024, Visa treated $ 3.9 trillion In transactions, barely half of the $ 8.5 trillion in transaction volume over 1.1 billion transactions for stablecoins during the same period. The use of the stablecoin for cross -border payments and transfers quickly becomes the first choice for users looking for cheaper options to send money.
All this to say: worldwide financial institutions will be on board. With a murderous use case in transfers and payments, as well as a promising Regulating environment in 2025We are going to see real integration into the traditional financial system.
5. 10% of the total Defi-Liquidity will flow seamlessly over three or more ecosystems via interoperability-based interoperability
Cross-chain interoperability requires the liquid transfer of data and communication. Zero Knowledge Proofs (ZKPS) Take two problems at the core of interoperability: privacy and security. Either via ZK-Native protocols or integrations, ZK can break down information silos, allowing users and protocols to exchange data and verify transactions in a privacy-maximized way.
Chainlink, which formed a strategic partnership with Safe Last year, a solution is currently investigating a zero knowledge -based solution Deco With the aim of improving privacy and security for users, protocols and settings that want to use oracles. With a number of projects that shift to ZK -interoperability tools, we can expect a significant impact on industry towards the end of 2025.
Look forward
Five years in Safe’s Journey, we are very happy to be part of the movement to unlock digital ownership and everything that goes with it. Next year, chain abstraction will enable us to overcome the technical challenges of blockchain and still benefit from decentralization.
Progress in autonomous AI agents, in combination with smart account infrastructure, will break down barriers to trade and unlock new opportunities to build richness. Led by a mission to deliver real products and value to users, the industry will see unprecedented levels of Onchain activity. The future is rosy.
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