Understanding this shift matters for anyone building in or navigating the Web3 space today.

From monolithic chains to modular infrastructure

Early blockchains were built to do everything in one place. A single network handled transaction execution, reached consensus, ensured data availability, and provided settlement finality. Bitcoin and early Ethereum are the clearest examples: unified systems where every node participates in every function.

The problem with this approach is scalability. When one chain must do everything, it hits limits quickly. Higher demand means higher fees, slower transactions, and pressure to make trade-offs between decentralization and performance.

The modular approach breaks these responsibilities apart. Execution, settlement, consensus, and data availability each become distinct layers that can be optimized independently. A rollup, for instance, handles execution off the main chain and posts transaction data to a separate data availability layer like Celestia or EigenDA, while settling on Ethereum. Each component does one job well instead of one system doing everything adequately.

This architectural shift mirrors what happened in software engineering more broadly – the move from monolithic applications to microservices. The logic is the same: specialization enables scale.

For builders and innovators in the crypto space, this modular foundation has opened up new possibilities. Developers can now launch application-specific chains without building validator infrastructure from scratch, plug into shared security layers, and choose data availability solutions that fit their needs and budget.

The stack is expanding beyond blockchain scaling

Here’s where things get genuinely interesting. The modular blockchain stack started as a solution to a scaling problem. But it’s increasingly becoming something else: infrastructure for autonomous AI agents to communicate, transact, and coordinate.

This might sound like a stretch, but the logic follows naturally. AI agents – software systems that can take actions, make decisions, and interact with external services on a user’s behalf – are becoming more capable and more autonomous. As they start participating in real economic activity, they need reliable infrastructure underneath them. They need to prove who authorized them, make payments, verify the trustworthiness of other agents, and leave auditable records of what they’ve done.

Blockchain’s core properties – transparent records, programmable rules, portable identity, and tamper-resistant logs – map almost perfectly onto what agentic AI requires. The stack isn’t replacing AI; it’s providing the trust and accountability rails that make autonomous agent activity safe and verifiable.

The convergence of agentic AI and decentralized infrastructure isn’t a future scenario – it’s already shaping how we think about Web3 architecture today. The projects that will define the next phase aren’t just building on blockchain; they’re building the coordination layer that lets autonomous systems act with trust, accountability, and economic purpose.

Liwaa Chehayeb

Head of Web3 at what.

Read also: the ongoing tokenization era points to a parallel shift — blockchain is moving from purely speculative infrastructure toward systems that support real economic value. Agentic AI is accelerating that same trajectory.

The protocols shaping the agentic Web3 stack

Several emerging protocols and standards are extending the modular stack specifically to support AI agent activity. Together, they form something that could reasonably be called an agentic commerce infrastructure.

Agent Communication: A2A

A2A (Agent-to-Agent protocol) addresses how AI agents communicate with each other. The future of agentic AI isn’t one all-knowing agent doing everything. It’s a network of specialized agents, each handling a particular domain. 

One agent handles research, another handles payments, another handles compliance checks. A2A provides the common language these agents use to coordinate and delegate tasks between each other.

Tool Access: MCP

MCP (Model Context Protocol) handles tool access. It allows agents to connect with external systems – databases, APIs, blockchain explorers, business workflows, payment services. 

Without MCP, an agent is essentially isolated. With it, an agent can actually interact with the digital world: checking a transaction on-chain, retrieving a document, calling a pricing API, or triggering a business process.

Payment Authorization: AP2

AP2 (Agent Payments Protocol) focuses specifically on authorization. When an AI agent makes a payment on a user’s behalf, a critical question arises: was this actually authorized? AP2 is designed to answer that. 

It’s less about the mechanics of moving money and more about consent, permission scopes, and accountability. Think of it as the authorization layer that sits above the actual payment.

Payment Execution: x402

x402 handles the payment execution side. It revives the old HTTP 402 “Payment Required” status code and turns it into a workable standard for internet-native micropayments. 

An agent can pay for a premium data request, an API call, or even compensate another agent for completing a subtask – all automatically, without human involvement at each step. AP2 proves the agent was authorized; x402 handles the actual transaction flow.

Agent Identity and Reputation: ERC-8004

ERC-8004 tackles agent identity and reputation. As agents increasingly interact with other agents outside their own platform or organization, they need a way to evaluate trustworthiness.

Who built this agent? Has it successfully completed tasks before? Can its claims be verified? ERC-8004 aims to create an open reputation layer for agent-to-agent interactions – essentially helping agents decide who’s worth trusting and paying.

Smart wallets, spending limits, and constrained autonomy

One of the most important design questions in agentic AI is simple: how much financial autonomy should an agent have?

The answer should be: constrained. Not unlimited access to a wallet, but programmable, policy-bound access. Smart wallets and account abstraction make this possible. A user or business can configure an agent to spend only up to a certain amount per day, transact only with approved counterparties, request human approval above a certain threshold, or avoid specific transaction types entirely. Every action gets logged for review.

This matters because the goal isn’t maximum autonomy – it’s useful autonomy within clear guardrails. An AI travel agent that books the cheapest flight within your budget is helpful. An AI agent with unconstrained access to your funds is a liability.

Cross-chain coordination and the UX opportunity

AI agents won’t care which blockchain a service runs on. They’ll care whether the task can be completed quickly, cheaply, and safely. This makes interoperability a first-order concern for the agentic Web3 stack.

An agent might need to pay on one network, verify data on another, and use a service that settles on a third. Cross-chain infrastructure that handles this routing invisibly – without requiring the agent (or the user) to manually manage bridges and gas tokens – is essential for this vision to work in practice.

This connects to one of Web3’s persistent challenges: user experience. Managing wallets, private keys, gas fees, and cross-chain transfers has kept most people at arm’s length from blockchain-based services. AI agents could absorb all of that complexity. Instead of a user interacting directly with decentralized infrastructure, the agent handles it – and the user simply receives results.

That’s a genuinely compelling proposition for broader Web3 adoption. The next major interface for Web3 might not be a wallet or a dApp. It might be an AI agent. Projects like the DMCC crypto and AI ecosystem are already building regulatory and commercial frameworks that anticipate exactly this kind of convergence.

Trust, accountability, and the risks that remain

Autonomous agents create real trust challenges. They act faster than humans can supervise, may interact with unknown services, and can spend real money. Mistakes are possible. So is manipulation – fake or low-quality agents gaming reputation systems, compromised wallets, or insecure API connections.

Blockchain helps address parts of this problem. Transparent execution records, smart contract-enforced rules, verifiable identity, and auditable transaction histories all reduce the risk surface. But blockchain isn’t the brain of an AI agent. It’s the accountability layer around it. The agent decides and acts; the blockchain ensures those actions are recorded, authorized, and traceable.

The honest framing here is that agentic AI and Web3 integration is still early. Standards are fragmented, liability questions are unresolved, and regulatory frameworks haven’t caught up. As with tokenization’s positioning problem, the technology is often ahead of the governance and communication structures needed to make it work in practice. The goal should be constrained autonomy – agents that can act effectively within well-defined rules, budgets, and accountability frameworks, not agents operating without meaningful oversight.

A real-world agentic workflow: what this looks like in practice

Abstract protocol names are one thing. But how does the full agentic Web3 stack actually behave in a real scenario? Here’s a concrete example.

Say a logistics company wants to automate vendor procurement. They configure an AI agent with a clear mandate: source a certified freight partner for a shipment from Dubai to Rotterdam, negotiate within a predefined budget, and complete the booking – all without manual intervention.

Here’s what happens under the hood:

• The user defines the task and sets parameters inside a smart wallet: maximum spend of $8,000, approved vendor categories only, human sign-off required above $10,000. The agent gets to work.

• Using MCP, it connects to freight databases, logistics APIs, and compliance registries to pull live rates, carrier certifications, and regulatory requirements for the route.

• It needs help assessing carbon offset compliance for the EU leg. So via A2A, it delegates that subtask to a specialized compliance agent. That agent checks relevant registries, confirms compliance status, and reports back.

• Before committing to a vendor, the agent checks the carrier’s ERC-8004 reputation profile. The carrier has completed 400+ verified cross-border bookings, holds a strong on-chain track record, and has no dispute history. Trustworthy enough to proceed.

• The carrier’s API responds with an x402 payment request for the booking deposit. The agent checks back with AP2 to verify the payment is within authorized parameters. It is.

• The smart wallet validates the spend against the user’s policy rules and executes the transaction. The booking is confirmed, the transaction is logged on-chain, and a full audit trail is created automatically.

• The user gets a notification. Total time: minutes. Manual steps required: zero.

For businesses exploring how AI automation can power these kinds of workflows, the underlying principles align closely with what our AI automation services team builds for clients today. The difference is that Web3 infrastructure adds the trust, payment, and identity layers that make those workflows verifiable and economically sovereign.

Also worth reading: 2026 Will Be the Year of Autonomous Workflows explores how AI-driven automation is reshaping business operations more broadly.

What to watch as the agentic stack matures

The protocols and standards discussed here are still developing, but several trends are worth tracking closely:

• Adoption of x402 for API-level micropayments and agent-to-agent compensation
• AP2 becoming a standard for verifiable agent payment authorization in enterprise contexts
• ERC-8004 development as a trust and reputation layer for cross-platform agent interactions
• Smart wallet infrastructure maturing to support complex, multi-agent spending policies
• Stablecoin micropayments enabling machine-to-machine transactions at scale
• Agent marketplaces where specialized AI agents offer services to other agents or users

Each of these represents a piece of the broader picture: a Web3 infrastructure that was built to scale blockchains, now evolving to coordinate autonomous digital activity across networks, agents, and economic systems.

The modular blockchain stack isn’t just a better way to build blockchains. It’s becoming the coordination and trust layer for the next generation of the internet – one where AI agents are active economic participants, not just tools that answer questions.

If you’re building in this space or thinking about how agentic AI and decentralized infrastructure intersect with your business, our team at what. works with crypto and Web3 projects at exactly this frontier. Explore our Web3 & Crypto services to see how we can help you navigate and build in this evolving landscape.

The post How Modular Blockchain Powers Agentic AI and Web3 appeared first on what. AG.

This is a positioning problem, and it’s arguably more damaging than any technical limitation. If your target audience doesn’t understand what they’re getting, they won’t buy in. And right now, most tokenized real-world asset projects are pitching infrastructure to people who just want a return.

We’re well into the tokenization era, and the gap between what the technology can do and how it’s being sold is only getting wider.

The core issue: people don’t buy tokens

Here’s the thing: nobody wakes up and thinks, “I want to own a token.” They think about rental income, portfolio diversification, access to asset classes that used to be gated off, and investments they can actually trust.

Most RWA tokenization projects lead with their infrastructure. “We tokenize assets on-chain.” “Get on-chain exposure to real estate.” These messages might land with a crypto-native audience, but they bounce right off the institutional investors, retail participants, and traditional finance professionals that this space actually needs to win over.

The more effective framing flips the script entirely:

• “Own income-generating assets” instead of “own tokens”
• “Regulated investment access” instead of “on-chain exposure”
• “A better version of TradFi” instead of “DeFi meets TradFi”

This isn’t just a copywriting fix. It reflects a deeper misalignment between what projects are building and what they’re communicating. Tokenization is infrastructure – it’s the plumbing. What investors buy is the house.

There’s also the liquidity illusion worth calling out. A lot of tokenized RWAs aren’t actively traded at all. Secondary markets are thin, holding periods are long, and volume is low. Blockchain doesn’t create liquidity by default – liquidity comes from market design, distribution, and demand. Projects that promise liquidity without building the infrastructure to support it are setting themselves up for a credibility problem.

A simple way to think about where value lives

If you strip tokenization down to its essentials, there are three layers – and most projects are focused on the wrong one.

• The technical layer is where most energy goes: blockchain infrastructure, smart contracts, token standards. It’s important, but it’s a means, not an end.

• The legal layer is where trust gets built: clear ownership rights, regulatory backing, enforceable claims. Without this, the technical layer is useless.

• The financial layer is where the actual value proposition lives: yield, liquidity, access to quality assets. This is what investors are buying.

The projects gaining real traction aren’t the ones with the most impressive tech stack. They’re the ones that have locked in the legal and financial layers and use technology as the enabler – not the headline.

Related read: builders and innovators in the crypto space are increasingly figuring this out, building products that lead with outcomes and use blockchain in the background.

What PRYPCO Mint gets right

PRYPCO Mint is one of the clearest examples of outcome-first positioning in the RWA tokenization space. It’s a Dubai-based platform that allows investors to own fractional stakes in UAE real estate.

Nowhere in their core messaging does it say “tokenized asset” or “on-chain exposure.” The pitch is: “Own Dubai real estate from AED 2,000.” That’s it. Clean, direct, and built around what investors want.

What makes PRYPCO Mint worth studying isn’t just the messaging – it’s the full structure behind it. The platform is integrated with the Dubai Land Department, meaning investors receive legal ownership certificates alongside their digital tokens. Ownership is recorded both on-chain and in government systems. This solves one of the biggest unsolved problems in RWA tokenization: enforceability. The token isn’t just a claim – it’s tied to a real title deed recognized by regulators.

The user experience reflects the same logic. Marketing focuses on rental income, low entry barriers, and property ownership. Technical language is minimal. The platform also operates on fiat rails, so users don’t need a crypto wallet or any prior blockchain knowledge to participate.

The demand signals speak for themselves – individual properties on the platform have reportedly sold out within minutes. That’s not hype; that’s product-market fit. PRYPCO isn’t selling tokenization. It’s selling access to real estate and the income that comes with it. The blockchain is the delivery mechanism, not the product.

What’s still blocking broader adoption

Even with strong models like PRYPCO Mint, the RWA tokenization space has real bottlenecks that won’t be solved by better messaging alone.

• Distribution is the first one. Who are the actual buyers, and where do tokenized assets trade after issuance? Many projects launch onto proprietary platforms without established channels into wealth management, retail brokerage, or institutional allocation. Without distribution, even a well-positioned product stalls.

• Regulation remains fragmented across jurisdictions. Compliance requirements are high, legal frameworks for digital securities vary significantly by market, and many projects are navigating this without clear precedent. The DMCC crypto and AI ecosystem is one example of how specific jurisdictions are working to create clearer conditions for this kind of innovation.

• Trust is still a hard problem. Investors need confidence that the underlying asset actually exists, that ownership rights are enforceable, and that the platform will still be operating in five years. This isn’t solved by smart contracts alone It requires legal integration, regulatory backing, and institutional credibility.

• User experience is the fourth bottleneck, and it’s often underestimated. Crypto wallets are not mainstream-friendly. The onboarding process for most blockchain-based investment platforms creates real friction – seed phrases, wallet addresses, gas fees, browser extensions. Tools like Privy are working to change this by enabling embedded wallets and simplified authentication flows that abstract away blockchain complexity entirely. The goal is a user experience that feels like any other fintech product, with blockchain running quietly in the background. That gap still exists for most RWA platforms, and it’s limiting the size of the addressable market considerably.

What this means for firms in the space

If you’re building in RWA tokenization, digital securities, or related infrastructure, the strategic implication is straightforward: stop leading with the technology and start leading with the outcome.

That means pressure-testing your messaging against what your target investor actually cares about. It means making sure your legal and regulatory foundation is solid enough to be a feature, not a footnote. And it means thinking seriously about distribution – not just how you issue, but who buys, and where they find you.

The Decentralized Science space has faced similar positioning challenges: genuinely transformative technology that struggles to communicate its value to people outside the immediate community. The pattern repeats across Web3. The projects that break through tend to be the ones that translate infrastructure into outcomes.

Tokenization has the technology. The next step is building the credibility, distribution, and user experience to match.

Ready to position your RWA or Web3 project for the right audience? Our team at what. works with blockchain startups, digital securities platforms, and crypto-native firms to build strategies that actually land. Explore our Web3 & crypto services to see how we can help.

The post RWA Tokenization’s Real Problem Is Positioning, Not Technology appeared first on what. AG.

Here’s how we at what. helped DMCC build one of the most active blockchain and Web3 hubs in the UAE – and what we learned along the way.

DMCC overview: why Dubai’s hub is key for crypto & blockchain

DMCC – the Dubai Multi Commodities Centre – isn’t just another free zone. It’s a government-backed ecosystem specifically designed to attract and support blockchain, crypto, Web3, and AI companies looking to establish themselves in the UAE.

Positioned in Dubai, the city sits within eight hours’ flying time of markets representing 65% of global GDP. That geographic advantage is real – but only if the right founders, developers, and investors know about it.

DMCC’s ambition was clear: become the go-to destination for crypto and AI businesses in the region, generate qualified leads, and build a community that actually delivers value.

That’s where we came in.

Inside the DMCC Crypto Centre: a physical hub for Web3 companies

The DMCC Crypto Centre is more than a co-working space. It’s an entire floor at Uptown Tower dedicated to bringing crypto, blockchain, and Web3 companies under one roof.

Physical proximity matters in this industry. Being able to walk down the hall and meet your next investor or technical co-founder creates a network effect that no Telegram group can replicate.

The Crypto Centre offers companies not just licensing, but access to a thriving ecosystem – advisors, regulators, service providers, and other builders all working in the same space.

That infrastructure gave us something real to market.

DMCC AI Centre: building infrastructure for artificial intelligence companies

Alongside the Crypto Centre, DMCC also operates a dedicated AI Centre – part of the same technology ecosystem floor at Uptown Tower.

The strategy was the same: bring AI startups, researchers, and enterprise teams into one physical location where collaboration happens organically. The AI and crypto verticals share resources, events, and a regulatory environment that supports innovation without unnecessary friction.

For us at what., managing the digital presence of both verticals meant understanding the overlap and reflecting that in our content strategy.

DMCC’s goals: lead generation, positioning, and community growth

DMCC’s objectives were threefold: position themselves as the leading crypto and AI hub in the UAE, generate licensing leads from qualified companies, and build an engaged community around the ecosystem.

The licensing landscape in the UAE is competitive. Free zones across Dubai and other emirates all compete for the same Web3 and AI companies.

To stand out, DMCC needed to demonstrate real community value – the kind that comes from events, shared infrastructure, and access to decision-makers.

Our job was to amplify that value digitally.

How what. managed DMCC’s full digital presence

We at what. took on the full digital presence of DMCC’s technology ecosystem – specifically the crypto and AI verticals.

In practice, our work covered:

• Managing and growing all social media accounts across X, Instagram, and LinkedIn
• Live coverage of physical blockchain and AI events across the UAE
• Running and moderating the DMCC Telegram community server
• Publishing blogs and placing PR to support lead generation and positioning

We weren’t just scheduling posts. We were building infrastructure for a community that needed to feel valuable to its members and credible to the outside world.

Using blockchain and Web3 events as a growth channel

Over the course of our engagement, DMCC hosted 25+ physical events. We attended and covered 24 of them live, creating real-time content across Instagram and other channels.

But live coverage was only part of the strategy. The more important work was building a system around those events – post-event analysis that tracked what actually came out of each one.

Which conversations led to licensing inquiries? What topics generated the most engagement?

Physical events in the crypto and blockchain space do something social media can’t easily replicate: they put thought leaders, investors, and builders in the same room.

We focused on capturing that value and making it visible online.

Our greatest challenges: community building and working within strict constraints

A community only grows when everyone in it gets something out of it. That sounds obvious, but it’s where most ecosystem-building efforts fall apart.

You can’t manufacture belonging. If the people in your ecosystem aren’t getting tangible value – connections, knowledge, opportunities – no amount of content will keep them engaged.

DMCC understood this early. They built physical infrastructure, hosted regular events, and created environments where meaningful connections could form.

Our job was to amplify that signal digitally.

Marketing for a semi-government organization comes with strict brand guidelines, structured approval processes, and a small margin for error.

Early in the engagement, approval workflows created friction. Material was taking too long to get published, which matters in a fast-moving space like crypto and AI.

We worked to improve the process from the inside – mapping bottlenecks, improving communication between teams, and reducing back-and-forth without compromising compliance.

The result was a faster, more efficient pipeline for getting content approved and published – making the rest of the work possible.

Results of what.’s engagement with DMCC

We can point out the following headline results from this project:

• 800+ Web3 and AI companies licensed in Dubai through DMCC
• 24 physical blockchain and crypto events attended and covered with live content
• 10,000+ organic community members grown across social platforms

Growing from 500 to 700 licensed companies within a single year – and continuing beyond 800 – reflects what happens when lead generation, community building, and positioning all reinforce each other.

This wasn’t about one viral post or one successful event. It was about building a system where every piece contributed to the same goal.

Our biggest learning on community building

The biggest lesson from this project: community isn’t a content strategy. It’s a value proposition.

If the people in your ecosystem aren’t getting something tangible out of being there, no amount of posting will manufacture genuine belonging.

DMCC’s physical infrastructure gave us at what. something real to market. The Crypto Centre, the AI Centre, the events, the network of 800+ companies – those are genuine reasons for a founder to choose Dubai and DMCC.

Our job was to make that value visible and compelling to the right audience.

Next steps: building your crypto, blockchain, or AI ecosystem

If you’re building or scaling a crypto, blockchain, or AI project and need a team that understands both the technical landscape and how to grow an audience in it, we at what. would love to talk.

Check out our Web3 and Crypto Marketing services to see how we approach community building, lead generation, and positioning for blockchain and AI companies.

Or book a free consultation to explore what’s possible for your project.

The post How We Grew DMCC’s Crypto & AI Ecosystem to 800+ Companies appeared first on what. AG.

• Real-world asset tokenization is emerging as one of the most important developments in crypto and blockchain infrastructure.
• Instead of purely speculative digital tokens, the industry is moving toward bringing traditional assets on-chain, including real estate, bonds, commodities, and private credit.
• Major financial institutions such as BlackRock and JPMorgan are already experimenting with tokenized financial products and blockchain-based settlement.
• Tokenization can transform illiquid assets into programmable, tradable digital instruments, enabling fractional ownership, faster settlement, and improved global access.
• The opportunity is enormous – industry estimates suggest $16 trillion or more in tokenized assets by 2030.
• Early adoption is emerging in sectors such as tokenized real estate, treasury bonds, commodities, and private credit markets.
• While regulatory, custody, and interoperability challenges remain, the infrastructure for blockchain asset tokenization is rapidly maturing.
• For fintechs, financial institutions, and Web3 platforms, real-world assets crypto markets may drive the next major growth cycle in digital finance.

Over the past decade, blockchain technology has evolved through multiple phases of innovation. Early development focused on decentralized money and programmable infrastructure, followed by waves of experimentation in decentralized finance (DeFi), NFTs, and token-based ecosystems.

Today, the industry is entering a new phase – one that moves beyond crypto-native experimentation into real economic infrastructure.

Real-world asset tokenization is emerging as one of the most significant developments in digital finance. By bringing assets such as bonds, real estate, commodities, and private credit onto blockchain networks, tokenization connects traditional financial markets with decentralized infrastructure.

For financial institutions, fintech founders, and digital asset platforms, this shift represents a major opportunity. The tokenization of real-world assets has the potential to unlock trillions in new on-chain value while transforming how capital markets operate.

The Evolution of Crypto Cycles

Understanding why real-world asset tokenization is gaining momentum requires looking at how blockchain innovation has progressed over time.

Cycle 1: Infrastructure (Bitcoin & Early Blockchain)

The first crypto cycle focused on decentralized digital money.

Bitcoin introduced a peer-to-peer financial system that removed the need for central intermediaries. Its blockchain architecture demonstrated that distributed networks could securely record transactions without relying on banks or payment processors.

While revolutionary, this first phase was largely limited to a single use case: decentralized currency.

However, it proved that blockchain infrastructure could support global financial networks.

Cycle 2: Platforms (Ethereum & Smart Contracts)

The next phase expanded blockchain from digital money into programmable infrastructure.

Ethereum introduced smart contracts – self-executing code deployed on blockchain networks. This innovation allowed developers to build applications directly on-chain.

Suddenly, blockchain could support:

• Decentralized applications (dApps)
• Token issuance
• Automated financial services
• Programmable digital assets

This platform layer created the foundation for the broader crypto ecosystem and established tokenized assets on blockchain as a viable financial model.

Cycle 3: DeFi and Token Experiments

Between 2020 and 2022, the crypto industry experienced rapid growth driven by decentralized finance and token innovation.

Protocols enabled:

• On-chain lending and borrowing
• Decentralized exchanges
• Automated liquidity pools
• NFT marketplaces

This era demonstrated that complex financial products could be built entirely on blockchain infrastructure. For a closer look at how Web3 builders have continued developing through every market cycle, see How Web3 Builders Are Preparing for 2026 Without the Noise.

However, much of the activity remained within crypto-native markets. Many tokens represented digital assets created solely within blockchain ecosystems, rather than reflecting real economic value outside them.

The next evolution is now emerging.

The Next Phase: Real-World Asset Tokenization

The tokenization of real-world assets represents the logical next stage of blockchain adoption.

Instead of creating purely digital tokens, asset tokenization connects blockchain infrastructure with tangible assets such as:

• Government bonds
• Real estate
• Commodities
• Infrastructure investments
• Private credit markets

These assets already represent trillions of dollars in traditional finance. By bringing them on-chain, blockchain networks can support real economic activity rather than only crypto-native markets.

This shift is attracting increasing attention from financial institutions and fintech innovators exploring the future of tokenization in finance.

What Are Real-World Assets (RWAs) in Crypto?

Real-world assets in crypto refer to physical or traditional financial assets that are represented as tokens on a blockchain.

In simple terms, tokenization creates a digital representation of an asset that can be transferred, traded, or used within blockchain-based financial systems.

These tokenized assets blockchain systems allow investors and institutions to interact with traditional assets through programmable infrastructure.

How Tokenization Works

Asset tokenization typically involves several steps:

• Asset representation on-chain: a physical or financial asset is legally linked to a digital token on a blockchain. This token represents ownership rights or claims to the underlying asset.
• Smart contracts: smart contracts automate rules around ownership, transfers, and settlement. They can also enforce compliance requirements or distribute payments such as dividends or interest.
• Fractional ownership: assets can be divided into smaller token units, allowing investors to purchase fractions of high-value assets.
• Secondary markets: tokenized assets can be traded on blockchain-based platforms, improving liquidity for traditionally illiquid investments.

Together, these mechanisms enable blockchain asset tokenization to modernise how assets are issued, managed, and traded.

Examples of Tokenized Assets

A growing range of asset classes are now being tokenized.

Real estate

Property ownership can be divided into tokenized shares, allowing investors to access property markets without purchasing entire buildings.

Real estate tokenization is already being piloted in several markets. For example, in the UAE, DAMAC Properties – one of the region’s largest real estate developers – launched a tokenized real estate initiative in partnership with the Dubai-based tokenization platform CTRL ALT. Through the platform Mint, investors can purchase fractional ownership in real estate assets using blockchain infrastructure.

This model demonstrates how blockchain asset tokenization can:

• Lower the entry barrier to property investment
• Enable fractional property ownership
• Increase liquidity in traditionally illiquid real estate markets

Platforms like Mint illustrate how tokenized real estate could open global property markets to a broader investor base while modernising the underlying infrastructure for ownership and settlement.

Treasury bonds

Short-term government bonds are increasingly being tokenized and used as collateral in digital asset markets.

Commodities

Assets such as gold and energy resources can be represented on-chain, allowing easier trading and settlement.

Private credit

Tokenized lending structures allow investors to gain exposure to private credit markets while improving transparency and settlement speed.

Infrastructure investments

Large-scale assets such as energy projects or transport infrastructure may also benefit from fractional tokenized ownership models.

These examples illustrate how the RWA crypto market is expanding beyond speculative tokens into real economic sectors. Teams and innovators actively building in this space are explored further in Builders and Innovators in the Crypto Space.

Why RWAs Are Gaining Momentum Now

Several structural shifts are driving the rise of real-world asset tokenization.

Institutional Interest Is Growing

Large financial institutions are increasingly experimenting with blockchain infrastructure.

Examples include:

• Asset managers exploring tokenized funds
• Banks piloting blockchain settlement systems
• Investment firms launching tokenized treasury products

Institutions such as BlackRock and JPMorgan have publicly explored blockchain-based asset issuance and settlement.

Their involvement signals growing confidence that tokenization can support real financial infrastructure.

Regulatory Frameworks Are Maturing

Regulation has historically been a major barrier to tokenization. However, regulatory clarity is improving across key financial markets. Governments and regulators are increasingly developing frameworks for:

• Digital asset custody
• Security tokens
• Tokenized securities trading
• On-chain financial settlement

While regulation remains fragmented globally, the direction of travel is increasingly supportive of compliant tokenization platforms. The GCC region in particular has been moving quickly in this direction – as explored in Web3 and AI in 2026: Why the GCC Is Defining the Operating Model Builders Need to Understand.

Blockchain Infrastructure Is More Mature

The technology stack supporting tokenized assets blockchain systems has advanced significantly.

Key infrastructure components now include:

• Stablecoins used for on-chain settlement
• Institutional-grade digital asset custody
• Compliance-aware token standards
• DeFi lending and liquidity protocols

These components create the foundation needed for large-scale blockchain asset tokenization.

Demand for Yield and Liquidity

Investors are increasingly searching for yield and diversification beyond traditional public markets. Tokenized assets can provide exposure to real-world yield sources such as:

• Government bonds
• Private credit
• Real estate income

At the same time, tokenization improves liquidity for asset classes that were previously difficult to trade.

This combination is a major driver of the RWA crypto market.

The Market Opportunity for Tokenized Assets

The potential scale of real-world asset tokenization is enormous.

Trillions in Potential On-Chain Assets

Traditional asset classes such as bonds, real estate, and private credit represent hundreds of trillions of dollars globally.

Several industry forecasts estimate that tokenization of real-world assets could exceed $16 trillion by 2030.

Even modest adoption could bring massive value on-chain, dramatically expanding the size of digital asset markets.

Benefits of Tokenization

Tokenization offers several advantages compared with traditional financial infrastructure.

• Improved liquidity: assets that historically required long holding periods can be traded more easily.
• Fractional ownership: investors can access asset classes previously limited to institutional participants.
• Transparency: blockchain ledgers provide transparent transaction histories and ownership records.
• Faster settlement: transactions can settle in minutes rather than days.
• Global accessibility: tokenized assets can potentially be accessed by investors worldwide.

These benefits explain why many institutions now see tokenization in finance as a structural upgrade to capital markets.

Key Sectors Leading Adoption

Several industries are emerging as early leaders in the tokenization of real-world assets.

• Real estate: tokenized real estate platforms are enabling fractional property investment and faster property transactions. Real-world deployments – such as the DAMAC and CTRL ALT real estate tokenization initiative in Dubai – show how developers and technology platforms are beginning to bring large-scale property assets onto blockchain networks.
• Private credit: blockchain-based lending platforms are using tokenized credit instruments to attract capital.
• Treasury bonds: short-duration government bonds are becoming popular tokenized assets due to their stability and yield.
• Commodity markets: tokenization enables easier trading of physical commodities and commodity-backed financial products.

As infrastructure improves, these sectors could drive significant growth in the future of tokenized assets.

Challenges and Risks

Despite the opportunity, real-world asset tokenization still faces important challenges.

Regulation and compliance

Tokenized assets must comply with securities laws, custody rules, and financial regulations across multiple jurisdictions.

Custody and legal ownership

Ensuring that blockchain tokens represent enforceable legal ownership of the underlying asset remains a complex issue.

Market fragmentation

Multiple blockchain networks and tokenization platforms may create liquidity fragmentation.

Interoperability

Assets tokenized on different blockchains must be able to interact with each other to enable efficient markets.

Addressing these challenges will be critical for large-scale adoption.

What Businesses Should Do Now

For organisations exploring tokenization, early strategic positioning is important. Companies considering blockchain asset tokenization should focus on several areas.

Identify Tokenizable Assets

Businesses should evaluate which assets could benefit from improved liquidity or fractional ownership.

Build Tokenization Infrastructure

This may involve developing token issuance platforms, integrating blockchain settlement, or deploying smart contract systems.

Form Strategic Partnerships

Collaborating with Web3 infrastructure providers, custody platforms, and regulatory specialists can accelerate adoption.

Capture Early-Mover Advantages

Early adopters may gain competitive advantages by building new financial products and digital marketplaces around tokenized assets.

For fintech platforms and financial institutions, tokenization represents a strategic opportunity to modernise asset markets.

The Beginning of a New Financial Infrastructure

Blockchain began as an experiment in decentralized digital currency. Over time, it evolved into a programmable financial infrastructure capable of supporting complex economic systems.

The tokenization of real-world assets may now represent the next major step in that evolution.

By bringing traditional financial assets onto blockchain networks, tokenization connects digital infrastructure with real economic value. This shift could unlock new liquidity, improve market efficiency, and enable entirely new financial products.

For organisations exploring blockchain transformation, the question is no longer whether tokenization will reshape financial markets – but how quickly adoption will accelerate.

Businesses that begin exploring tokenization strategies today may play a defining role in the next generation of digital capital markets.

Exploring Tokenization for Your Business?

Talk to our Web3 specialists to learn how blockchain can transform real-world assets into programmable financial products. Explore our Web3 & Crypto services to find out how what. can support your tokenization journey.

The post The Tokenization Era: Why Real-World Assets Are Driving the Next Crypto Cycle appeared first on what. AG.

In practice, many of the most important layers of Web3 are built during periods of low visibility. When speculation recedes, incentives change. Teams that continue working are no longer optimizing for attention or short term validation. They are building systems meant to operate years into the future.

This phase can be described as the quiet cycle. It is not a pause in innovation, but a shift toward less visible, more structural work. Understanding this distinction is essential to understanding what Web3 may look like in 2026.

Why 2026 Is a Useful Time Horizon

Looking toward 2026 is not about prediction. It is about respecting how long real systems take to mature. Foundational Web3 work tends to move on multi year timelines because it depends on:

• Iterative protocol upgrades rather than one time launches
• Gradual improvement in developer tooling through usage feedback
• Long testing and integration cycles for enterprises and institutions

Work done during quieter periods often becomes visible only much later. Features that feel stable or obvious in 2026 will likely trace back to architectural decisions made when market interest was low. A longer horizon helps separate durable progress from temporary activity.

What Quiet Building Looks Like in Practice

Quiet building is defined by behavior rather than announcements. Teams in this phase focus less on expansion and more on refinement.

In practice, this work usually involves:

• Improving reliability and performance
• Reducing complexity and technical debt
• Making developer workflows simpler and more predictable

Builders Working Through the Quiet Cycle

One example of quiet building at scale is the ongoing development around Ethereum. Many improvements related to scalability and resilience were developed during periods of reduced market enthusiasm. Rather than launching new narratives, core contributors focused on long term protocol research, cautious upgrades, and extensive testing. Much of this work attracted little attention outside technical circles, yet it significantly strengthened the network’s foundations.

Another example is Chainlink. During slower market conditions, its efforts centered on strengthening existing infrastructure and expanding real world integrations. This work lacked the visibility of earlier growth phases, but it increased the reliability of applications that depend on external data.

Both examples reflect a broader pattern. Progress was slow, deliberate, and largely invisible, yet critical for future adoption.

How Market Downturns Improve Execution

When attention and capital become scarce, inefficiency becomes costly. Teams are forced to prioritize.

Downturns push builders to confront questions that are often postponed in stronger markets:

• What problem is this product actually solving
• Who is the user, and why would they stay
• Which features are essential, and which are distractions

The result is often simpler, more focused products. Governance and compliance considerations become practical rather than theoretical. Teams dependent on external validation tend to exit, while those that remain usually operate with clearer conviction and stronger internal alignment.

Signals That Matter More Than Sentiment

Market sentiment is easy to observe but unreliable. More meaningful signals exist, though they are quieter.

Two of the most telling indicators are consistent developer activity and long term technical integrations. Roadmaps that evolve without losing direction suggest discipline. Small but persistent user retention often matters more than rapid growth driven by incentives.

These signals take time to notice, but they are harder to manufacture.

Strategic Implications for Builders

For builders and entrepreneurs, the quiet cycle is uncomfortable but productive. Feedback loops are slower. Visibility is lower. External validation is limited.

At the same time, this environment rewards teams that:

• Build for durability rather than attention
• Stay close to real users instead of abstract markets

The goal is not to wait for better conditions, but to be prepared for them.

The Shape of Web3 in 2026

Web3 in 2026 is unlikely to feel revolutionary to most users. That is a sign of maturity. Systems that work well tend to fade into the background.

Many of the companies shaping that future are not highly visible today. They are building quietly, without relying on constant attention. Their impact will be measured in reliability, integration, and usability rather than excitement.

Progress in Web3 is uneven and difficult to measure in real time, but it accumulates. The quiet cycle is where that accumulation happens. Builders who continue developing through uncertainty are not acting out of optimism. They are responding to a practical reality: lasting systems are built when no one is watching.

If you are a Web3 builder, reach out to us, and we can help you achieve your vision. Our team is dedicated to empowering entrepreneurs and supporting you in their journey. Explore our services at what.

The post How Web3 Builders Are Preparing for 2026 Without the Noise appeared first on what. AG.

Web3 and artificial intelligence are entering a phase where experimentation gives way to execution. By 2026, most of the core technologies underpinning decentralised systems and advanced AI models will already exist. The differentiator will no longer be technical novelty, but the ability to deploy these systems within real world economic, regulatory, and governance constraints.

Between 2024 and 2025, global attention has shifted from whether Web3 and AI are viable to how they can be integrated responsibly into existing markets. This shift is especially visible in regions that treat emerging technology as part of long term economic planning rather than isolated innovation. The Gulf Cooperation Council, particularly the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, has emerged as one of the clearest examples of this approach.

For builders and founders, this matters because the operating models being established today will define what is possible by 2026 and beyond. Understanding these models early is becoming a strategic requirement rather than a regional curiosity.

Why the GCC Matters in the Web3 and AI Landscape

The GCC’s relevance to Web3 and AI is not driven by hype cycles or speculative markets. It is driven by coordination. Over the past two years, the UAE and Saudi Arabia have aligned regulation, capital, infrastructure, and talent development around clear digital economy objectives.

In the UAE, hubs such as Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) and Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) have moved beyond regulatory experimentation into operational frameworks for digital assets, decentralised systems, and AI enabled services. Saudi Arabia has followed a similar path through national innovation programs tied to Vision 2030, focusing on applied technology at institutional scale.

What distinguishes the region is not speed alone, but intent. Regulation is being designed to enable deployment while maintaining oversight. AI governance is being discussed alongside national data strategies. Tokenisation is approached as infrastructure rather than as a financial trend.

For founders outside the region, the GCC offers insight into how Web3 and AI may operate globally once regulatory ambiguity declines. For founders within the region, it offers an opportunity to build with fewer unknowns and clearer long term assumptions.

It is important to note that policies continue to evolve, and not all frameworks are final. However, the direction of travel is clear enough to influence product and company design decisions today.

Tokenisation of Real World Assets Moves From Concept to Infrastructure

Tokenisation of real world assets has been discussed for several years, but 2024 and 2025 marked a shift from conceptual pilots to infrastructure level thinking. The focus has moved away from whether assets can be tokenised to how tokenised assets can be issued, managed, and governed within existing legal systems.

In the GCC, this shift has been supported by:

• Clearer definitions of digital assets
• Engagement between regulators, custodians, and technology providers
• Demand from institutional and government linked entities

By 2026, tokenisation is likely to function as part of broader market infrastructure rather than as a standalone innovation. This has direct implications for builders:

• Product architecture must assume compliance and reporting requirements
• Partnerships with licensed entities become a core design consideration
• Governance models must account for both on chain and off chain accountability

Tokenisation, in this context, is less about speed or liquidity and more about standardisation, trust, and interoperability. Regions that can provide legal clarity and operational support will shape how these systems scale globally.

Infrastructure Is the Competitive Moat in Web3 by 2026

One of the clearest lessons from Web3 development over the past two years is that infrastructure decisions compound. Choices around networks, data availability, interoperability, and custody are difficult to reverse once systems reach production.

By 2026, infrastructure is expected to be a primary competitive moat rather than an interchangeable layer. This is particularly relevant in environments where enterprise and government adoption is a goal. In such contexts:

• Reliability matters more than experimentation
• Interoperability outweighs maximal decentralisation
• Security and auditability are baseline expectations

In the GCC, enterprise driven adoption has influenced infrastructure standards earlier than in many other regions. Builders targeting these markets must design systems that integrate with existing institutions while preserving decentralised properties where they add real value.

For founders making decisions in 2024 and 2025, this means prioritising long term maintainability over short term optimisation. Infrastructure should be treated as a strategic asset, not a technical afterthought.

DAOs and Governance Become Professionalised

Decentralised Autonomous Organisations are evolving. Early DAO models often prioritised ideological purity over operational effectiveness. By 2026, governance structures are expected to look significantly more professional, especially in regulated or enterprise facing contexts.

Key trends already visible include:

• Delegated governance models replacing direct voting for all decisions
• Clear separation between strategic oversight and day to day operations
• Hybrid structures that bridge decentralised governance with legal entities

In the GCC, these developments intersect with corporate and regulatory expectations. Governance is not viewed as an abstract principle, but as a mechanism for accountability. For builders, this reframes governance as a product feature rather than a philosophical stance.

Projects that fail to invest in governance design early often struggle to adapt later. Those that treat governance as infrastructure are better positioned to operate across jurisdictions.

Decentralised Science as a Coordination Layer

Decentralised Science, or DeSci, has matured quietly compared to other Web3 narratives. Between 2024 and 2025, the conversation shifted from alternative funding mechanisms to broader coordination challenges in research and innovation.

DeSci’s relevance lies in its ability to:

• Coordinate contributors across institutions
• Create transparent incentive structures
• Improve data provenance and reproducibility

These capabilities align closely with national research agendas, particularly in regions investing heavily in science and technology capacity. The GCC’s focus on applied research, health, climate, and advanced manufacturing makes it a natural environment for DeSci experimentation.

However, challenges remain. Intellectual property management, data governance, and incentive alignment are complex problems. By 2026, successful DeSci initiatives are likely to be those that integrate with existing institutions rather than attempt to replace them.

Web3 and AI in 2026: One Stack, Shared Constraints

The intersection of Web3 and AI is often discussed in abstract terms. By 2026, this intersection is expected to become more concrete and more constrained.

AI agents are increasingly capable of acting autonomously within defined systems. As these agents participate in economic activity, questions of accountability, alignment, and governance become unavoidable. Web3 infrastructure offers tools for addressing these questions, including:

• Transparent execution environments
• Verifiable data provenance
• Programmable incentives and constraints

At the same time, AI governance and safety frameworks are evolving rapidly. In the GCC, AI policy discussions are tied to national data strategies and economic priorities, reinforcing the need for systems that can be audited and controlled.

Web3 does not solve AI governance on its own, but it provides primitives that help operationalise trust. By 2026, builders will need to design systems where AI and decentralised infrastructure are aligned by design rather than patched together.

Uncertainty remains around standards and global coordination. Builders should plan for change rather than assume stability.

What Builders and Founders Need to Get Right Now

For founders building toward 2026, several strategic questions deserve attention:

• Which jurisdiction assumptions are embedded in the product?
• How does governance scale with adoption?
• What infrastructure choices are difficult to change later?
• Where does decentralisation add real value versus complexity?

Common mistakes observed across Web3 and AI projects include underestimating governance, delaying compliance considerations, and treating infrastructure as modular when it is not.

The most resilient teams are those that treat system design as a strategic discipline. This includes knowing when to build internally, when to partner, and when to wait for standards to mature.

The GCC as a Launchpad, Not a Shortcut

The GCC offers meaningful advantages, but it is not a shortcut to success. Regulatory clarity does not replace product market fit. Capital availability does not remove execution risk.

Builders who succeed in the region tend to:

• Commit long term
• Invest in local understanding
• Align with institutional priorities

Those who approach the GCC opportunistically often struggle to translate early access into durable outcomes.

Designing for the World That Is Emerging

Web3 and AI are converging into systems that will shape how value is created, governed, and distributed. By 2026, the question will not be whether these systems work, but where and how they are deployed responsibly.

The GCC is contributing to this future by designing operating models grounded in real constraints. For builders and founders, understanding these models is becoming part of building globally relevant products.

The opportunity lies not in following trends, but in designing systems that can endure.

As Web3 and AI systems move from experimentation to execution, builders and founders are increasingly faced with structural questions rather than technical ones. These include how to design governance that scales, how to align products with evolving regulation, and how to choose jurisdictions that support long term growth.

For teams exploring these questions, especially in the context of the GCC, it can be useful to engage with practitioners who operate across both regional and global environments. We are operating across the GCC region through our UAE branch in DIFC, Dubai. This work is complemented by what. AG in Switzerland, providing a European perspective on governance, compliance, and market design.

The goal is not acceleration for its own sake, but clarity. Designing systems that can operate responsibly in 2026 and beyond requires informed decisions made early.

Explore our Crypto services

The post Web3 and AI in 2026: Why the GCC Is Defining the Operating Model Builders Need to Understand appeared first on what. AG.

Volatility is natural in a young asset class with a relatively small market capitalisation and high sensitivity to global events. Price movements should always be analysed, whether the trend is positive or negative. But these movements should never distract from the long-term progress taking place in the background. Teams around the world are creating products, infrastructure, and applications that have the potential to reshape entire industries.

Innovation Beyond Market Cycles

The strongest evidence of the resilience of the crypto space can be seen in the projects that focus on solving real problems. These teams rely on the strengths of blockchain technology to bring transparency, immutability, decentralisation, and broader participation into sectors that have resisted change for decades.

Below are two clear examples of projects working in different fields but united by a shared mission to push their industries forward.

Prypco and the Evolution of Real Estate Tokenisation

Prypco is redefining real estate investment in the United Arab Emirates through fractional ownership supported by blockchain infrastructure. By transforming property assets into digital tokens, Prypco lowers the barrier of entry for investors and provides greater transparency in property transactions. This creates an opportunity for a wider audience to participate in real estate without the need for large amounts of capital. The project demonstrates the powerful potential of Real World Asset tokenisation to modernise a traditional sector.

Cerebrum DAO and the Advancement of Decentralised Science

Cerebrum DAO is dedicated to advancing brain health research and supporting the development of treatments for neurodegenerative diseases. The project operates as a decentralised scientific collective that enables transparent funding and global collaboration among researchers. By using blockchain technology to align incentives and remove structural barriers, Cerebrum DAO brings more speed, clarity, and accessibility to a field that has long faced slow processes and limited resources. It represents the growing movement of Decentralised Science and its ability to reshape the way research is conducted

Although they operate in completely different sectors, Prypco and Cerebrum DAO showcase how blockchain technology can serve as a foundation for new economic structures and new methods of collaboration. Their work moves beyond market speculation and focuses on long-term impact.

Explore our in-depth Cerebrum DAO case study.

A Consistent Pattern of Building

Regardless of market conditions, innovation in the crypto ecosystem does not slow down. Builders stay focused on improving user experiences, enabling new financial models, accelerating scientific breakthroughs, and transforming industries that need modernisation. Every cycle brings new experiments, new narratives, and new opportunities to expand what blockchain technology can achieve.

Sustained innovation does not happen only during periods of excitement. It happens every day through the dedication of people who keep building.

Supporting Builders Through what.

At what., we work closely with founders, enterprises, and innovators who are developing the next generation of blockchain products and digital solutions. Our support covers the entire journey from concept to execution. This includes strategic planning, product development guidance, technical consulting, user acquisition, growth initiatives, brand positioning, and market entry.

The crypto and blockchain ecosystem evolves quickly and complexity increases as new technologies emerge. Having a strategic partner who understands both the technical and the business landscape is a major advantage. Our mission at what. is to help vision-driven teams turn their ideas into fully functioning products that create real value and contribute to the advancement of Web3 and the broader innovation landscape.

Blockchain continues to progress because builders never stop. We are committed to supporting that momentum and helping bring impactful projects to life.

Explore our work in Web3 & Crypto.

The post Builders and Innovators in the Crypto Space appeared first on what. AG.

Lack of Originality

One of the most significant pitfalls of launching an NFT project is a lack of originality. The market is already saturated with similar projects, making it challenging to stand out. Therefore, creators must focus on creating unique and original content that is not readily available in the market.

Not Understanding the Target Audience

Creators must have a clear understanding of their target audience before launching an NFT project. This includes understanding their preferences, interests, and buying behavior. Arguably the most important pitfall that even experts in the NFT industry fall victim to when launching their NFT project. Target audience is integral part of any Web3 project and it’s critical to do enough research to understand your target audience to position for success. It’s recommended that you create surveys, research competitors, and learn more about your target by being part of the community.

Poor Marketing

Another pitfall to avoid is poor marketing. Creators must ensure that their NFT project is well marketed to reach the intended audience. This includes creating a marketing strategy that includes social media, influencers, and other marketing channels. NFT marketing specifically is required to position for success, because NFT marketing is different than traditional marketing in many ways. Working with a strong Web3 marketing agency can help you curate and build a solid community around your project.

How to Properly Market an NFT Project

When it comes to marketing an NFT project, it is essential to understand the target audience and tailor the marketing strategy accordingly. Here are some tips on how to properly market an NFT project:

Identify the Target Audience

Identifying the target audience is the first step in developing a marketing strategy for an NFT project. This can be done by conducting market research, analyzing competitor projects, and understanding the preferences and interests of potential buyers.

Utilize Social Media

Social media is an essential tool for marketing an NFT project. Platforms such as Twitter, Instagram, and Discord are popular among the NFT community and can be used to promote the project, engage with the audience, and build a community around the project. Focus mostly on Twitter as it’s the core social media platform for all Web3 and NFT projects.

Collaborate with Influencers

Influencer marketing is a powerful tool for promoting an NFT project. Collaborating with influencers can help reach a broader audience and increase the project’s visibility. There are many ways to engage with influencers, the best way is to find influencers that are expert in your field and connect with them as you share the same mindset and goals.

Offer Exclusive Benefits

Offering exclusive benefits to NFT holders can help build a loyal community around the project. This can include access to private Discord servers, merchandise drops, or even exclusive events.

Participate in NFT Communities

Participating in NFT communities can help build awareness and credibility for the project. This can include joining NFT-related Discords or forums and engaging with the community. Token or NFT-gated communities can be very useful for your project, joining these communities can be one of the best investments you can do to increase your network and gain visibility on your Web3 project.

Successful NFT Projects and What They Did Right

While there are several pitfalls to avoid when launching an NFT project, there are also several successful NFT projects that creators can learn from. Here are some examples of successful NFT projects and what they did right.

NBA Top Shot

NBA Top Shot is an NFT project that allows collectors to own unique video highlights of NBA games. This project gained immense popularity due to its unique concept and strong marketing strategy. NBA Top Shot has sold over $700 million worth of NFTs

Axie Infinity

Axie Infinity is an NFT project that allows players to battle, breed, and trade fantasy creatures called Axies. This project gained popularity due to its unique gaming concept and play-to-earn model. Axie Infinity has sold over $2 billion worth of NFTs

Bored Ape Yacht Club

The Bored Ape Yacht Club is an NFT project that features unique ape-themed art. This project gained immense popularity due to its originality and strong community. Bored Ape Yacht Club’s floor price has increased from 0.08 ETH to over 40 ETH in less than a year

CryptoPunks

CryptoPunks is an NFT project that features 10,000 unique pixelated characters. This project gained immense popularity due to its originality and scarcity. CryptoPunks have sold several NFTs for millions of dollars

How to Build a Strong NFT Community

In addition to the benefits mentioned earlier, there are several other reasons why building a community is essential for Web3 projects. Here are some of the key benefits of having a strong community:

• Increased adoption and network effect

• Increased credibility and trust

• Word-of-mouth marketing

• Valuable feedback and insights

• Increased liquidity by making sure there is a strong demand

• Ecosystem growth and continuous development

To build a strong community, creators must focus on creating a user-friendly and engaging platform that encourages participation and collaboration. This can include offering incentives for community members to contribute, such as token rewards or exclusive benefits. Community members should also be given opportunities to provide feedback and suggestions, such as through forums or surveys.

NFTs for Brands

NFTs have become a popular way for brands to engage with their audience and create unique digital experiences. Here are some reasons why brands should consider creating an NFT:

• Brand Awareness

• New Revenue Stream

• Brand Loyalty

• Limited-Edition Content

• Innovative Marketing

When it comes to creating an NFT for a brand, it is important to consider the brand’s values and audience. NFTs should align with the brand’s message and resonate with their target audience.

The Importance of Useful Utilities and Benefits Linked to NFTs

While the uniqueness of an NFT is what makes it valuable, creators must ensure that their NFT project offers useful utilities and benefits to holders. This can include access to exclusive content, membership benefits, or even physical merchandise. By offering tangible benefits, creators can attract a wider audience and build a loyal community of NFT holders.

Conclusion

In conclusion, launching a successful NFT project requires careful planning and execution. Creators must focus on creating original content, understanding their target audience, effective marketing, reasonable pricing, and a secure and user-friendly platform. While there are several pitfalls to avoid when launching an NFT project, there are also several successful NFT projects that creators can learn from. By following the tips and best practices outlined in this article, creators can effectively promote their NFT project and build a loyal community of investors and collectors. As the popularity of NFTs continues to grow, there is no doubt that they will continue to be a valuable asset class for years to come.

The post The Pitfalls of Launching NFTs: What You Need to Avoid appeared first on what. AG.

• NFTs are unique digital assets stored on the blockchain.

• Minting your own NFTs gives you complete control and ownership over the asset.

• Decentralised storage is more secure than centralised storage for NFTs and metadata.

• Metadata provides additional information and context about the NFT.

• NFT launchpads help creators launch and promote their own NFT collections.

Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ownership is proven on the blockchain where everyone can authenticate the origin of these NFTs using their Metadata and transaction history. Blockchain technology allows NFTs to exist and enables us to authenticate the ownership in a complete decentralised way.

In this article we will be highlighting the importance of NFT ownership and what does it really mean to “own” your NFTs. We will also be highlighting NFT launchpads that can make it easier for you to mint your own NFT collection, curate a community, and ultimately drive value to everyone in the ecosystem.

Disadvantages of launching NFTs on marketplaces

While there are many NFT marketplaces available, such as Opensea or Rarible, it is better to mint your own NFTs. When you mint your own NFTs, you have complete ownership and control over that asset. This means that you can decide where to store the NFT and its metadata, and you can also control the distribution and sale of the NFT. When you use an NFT marketplace, you are essentially giving up some of your ownership and control over the asset. The marketplace may take a commission on the sale of your NFT, and you may be limited in how you can use and distribute the NFT.

In our previous article related to NFT minting yourself vs. marketplaces we highlighted in details the key differences between both approaches and their pros and cons. The idea of minting yourself or using an NFT launchpad is becoming more prominent as it gives you more control over your own collection, brand identity, intellectual property, and most importantly ownership.

In summary there are some major disadvantages to launch your NFT on marketplace

• Lack of ownership over the underlying assets (artwork, media, video, gif, etc.)

• Limited customization that are based on the marketplace criteria and parameters, this effectively can be something as small as uploading a limited size media to something as complex as integrating metadata on-chain and having the NFT embedded on-chain rather in an IPFS

• High fees for the marketplace which usually hovers between 1.5%-3.5% on average, this can be bypassed if you mint your own NFT by your own or through a launchpad

• Pre-defined blockchains on each NFT marketplace, for example some marketplaces only allow the minting of NFTs on the Ethereum blockchain. However, when minting your own NFT you can select any blockchain that suits your requirements

• Royalties is another big thing when it comes to setting a percentage marketplaces don’t allow you to put any value, and some won’t allow royalties at all

What is Metadata in NFTs?

Metadata is additional information that is attached to an NFT. This information can include details about the creator of the NFT, the date it was created, and any other relevant information about the asset including the traits that make up the collection. Metadata is important because it provides context and additional information about the NFT.

For example, if you own an NFT of a digital artwork, the metadata may include information about the artist, the title of the artwork, and the date it was created. This information can help to verify the authenticity and provenance of the artwork. However, it is important to understand that Metadata needs to be stored somewhere in order for it to be attached to the NFT and ultimately act as a record to authenticate the NFT through the blockchain.

Centralised and Decentralised Storage for NFTs and Metadata

When it comes to storing NFTs and their metadata, there are two main options: centralised and decentralised storage.

Centralised storage involves storing the NFT and metadata on a centralised server or platform, such as a cloud storage service. This type of storage is convenient and easy to use, but it also comes with some risks. If the server or platform is hacked or goes down, your NFT and metadata may be lost or compromised.

Decentralised storage, on the other hand, involves storing the NFT and metadata on the blockchain or a decentralised storage network, such as the Interplanetary File System (IPFS). This type of storage is more secure because it is distributed across many nodes on the network. Even if one node goes down, the NFT and metadata can still be accessed from other nodes.

NFT Launchpads

In addition to minting your own NFTs, another option for launching your own NFT collection is to use an NFT launchpad. An NFT launchpad is a platform that helps creators launch and promote their own NFT collections.

Launchpads usually provide a range of services, such as marketing and promotion, community building, and technical support. They may also offer features such as auctions, pre-sales, and exclusive access to certain NFT collections. Using an NFT launchpad can be beneficial for creators who are just starting out in the NFT space, as it can help to build buzz and create a community around their work. Launchpads can also help to ensure that the NFT collection is launched in a fair and transparent way, as they often have strict guidelines and criteria for listing NFT collections.

There are a variety of NFT launchpads available, however, it is important to do your research and select a platform that aligns with your values and goals as a creator. For example, as an artist you can explore Non Fungies Curators also known as NFC, a launchpad that is dedicated to artists looking to launch their own NFT collection. NFC allows artists to turn their physical or digital art into NFTs and give them full ownership over their IP, brand, and assets along with ongoing NFT marketing and sales support. NFC also allows cross-integration of NFTs with all marketplaces allowing artists to launch their collection on their own website, curate and sell them to the community, then list them automatically on a secondary NFT marketplace for trading purposes.

Other examples of prominent NFT launchpads

• NFTb

• HeyMint

• LaunchMyNFT

Conclusion

In conclusion, owning an NFT gives you ownership of a unique digital asset. Minting your own NFTs gives you complete control and ownership over the asset, which is why it is better than using NFT marketplaces. When it comes to storing NFTs and metadata, decentralised storage is more secure than centralised storage. Launching your collection by using an NFT launchpad makes it easier and expedites the process while giving you full ownership of the collection, including the IP rights, brand assets, and more.

The post How are NFT Launchpads Solving the Issues with Ownership around NFT Marketplaces appeared first on what. AG.

However, this intersection also poses several risks, including a lack of standardization and regulation, data privacy and security, and technical limitations. In this article, we explore the opportunities and risks associated with decentralised science and blockchain technology and discuss possible solutions to the challenges we face.

Opportunities

Accelerated Scientific Discoveries

Decentralised science has the potential to accelerate scientific discoveries in various fields by allowing the collective intelligence of researchers to focus on their expertise while connecting different parities to the ecosystem that allows this to happen. Within the DeSci space a number of projects are creating a baseline to enable continuous funding allowing a flow of cash to the researchers in specific scientific areas. This synergy between enabling researchers, securing the funding, allowing collective voting and discussions creates a space for innovation and continuous growth.

Democratisation of Scientific Research

Decentralised science has the potential to democratize scientific research by making it more accessible to people around the world. Decentralised science can facilitate collaboration between scientists across the globe, thus enabling them to share knowledge and resources. Decentralised science can help eliminate barriers to entry for scientists in developing countries, who may not have access to the same resources as their counterparts in developed countries.

Increased Transparency and Accountability

Decentralised science can help increase transparency and accountability in scientific research. Decentralised science can enable scientists to share their research findings with a wider audience, thus increasing transparency. Enabling scientists to collaborate in a transparent and open manner, thus reducing the likelihood of scientific misconduct.

Risks

Lack of Standardization and Regulation

Decentralised science may face challenges related to lack of standardization and regulation which can make it difficult to compare results across different studies. It can also be a case where a lack oversight and regulation, may lead to the spread of inaccurate or misleading information. This is a prominent issue within the concept of complete decentralisation and it’s an issue that carries over across the blockchain technology itself.

Data Privacy and Security

Decentralised science may involve the sharing of sensitive data, which can be vulnerable to cyber-attacks. Along with the misuse of blockchain technology, which can be difficult to secure and can result in data breaches if not implemented properly. The topic of data privacy is one of the main topics within the DeSci space and a lot of projects are looking to find ways to protect data within a decentralised model using zero-knowledge proof and other methods.

Challenges in Decentralised Science

Decentralised science is a relatively new field that is still facing several challenges. However, consist improvements to the space is happening with all the new projects that are joining and adding value to DeSci. With more and more projects coming in, we are seeing a lot of innovative ideas and thought leaders that are promoting the space, this benefits everyone in DeSci and helps spread awareness about the initiatives in different areas.

This being said, there are plenty of challenges that are still plaguing the DeSci space, here are some examples along with potential solutions to resolve them.

Intellectual Property (IP) Rights

Challenge: In a decentralised research project, it can be difficult to determine who owns the IP rights to the research findings. This can create legal and financial complications, particularly if the research findings are potentially valuable.

Solution: It is important to establish clear guidelines for IP ownership in decentralised research projects. This can help ensure that researchers are fairly compensated for their contributions to the project. Additionally, blockchain technology can be used to create smart contracts that automatically distribute IP rights based on predefined rules.

Collaboration

Challenge: While decentralised science has the potential to accelerate scientific discoveries, it can also create silos of information if researchers are not collaborating effectively. Collaboration is essential for advancing scientific research, and it can be difficult to achieve in a decentralised environment.

Solution: To foster collaboration between researchers in a decentralised environment, it is important to create incentives for collaboration. This can be done by rewarding researchers for sharing their data and findings with others. Additionally, decentralised networks can be used to facilitate collaboration between researchers across the globe, enabling them to share knowledge and resources more effectively.

Decentralised Autonomous Organizations (DAOs)

A Decentralised Autonomous Organization (DAO) is an organization that is run through rules encoded as computer programs called smart contracts. DAOs are decentralised, meaning that they are not controlled by any central authority or individual. Instead, they are governed by their members, who can vote on proposals and make decisions collectively.

DAO governance structures have become increasingly popular in the Web3 space, as they enable decentralised decision-making and funding. They are often used to fund and support projects in areas such as decentralised finance (DeFi), social impact, and of course decentralised science (DeSci) to help with funding research and scientific advancements.

DAOs can be thought of as a new form of organization that is native to the blockchain. They are designed to be transparent, open, and democratic, with decision-making power distributed among their members. This makes them a powerful tool for promoting decentralization and democratization in various industries. 

Benefits of DAOs

• One of the key benefits of using a DAO is that it enables members to make decisions collectively, without the need for a central authority. This can help eliminate the need for traditional funding mechanisms, as well as reduce the potential for corruption or bias.

• Another benefit of using a DAO is that it enables stakeholders to track the progress of projects and verify the results of experiments. This can help increase transparency and accountability in research, as well as enable stakeholders to make more informed decisions about which projects to support.

DAOs are taking on different forms when it comes to the Web3 space, especially DeSci projects that are looking to use this governance model to enable transparency which is one of the major challenges in the traditional science related funding.

Examples of Decentralised Autonomous Organization (DAO) Projects in DeSci

VitaDAO: A DAO focused on using decentralised finance (DeFi) and DAO technology to fund and support longevity research. Members of the DAO can contribute funds and vote on which research projects to support.

Molecule DAO: A DAO focused on using blockchain technology to facilitate the discovery and development of new drugs. Members of the DAO can contribute funds and vote on which drug discovery projects to support.

Cerebrum DAO: A DAO focused on funding scientific research based around brain health and longevity with the focus on finding a cure for serious diseases like Alzhiemer’s disease.

Hair DAO: A DAO focused on resolving issues related to hair loss by funding scientific research on this topic and enabling a community driven decision making to utilise the funds in promoting awareness about hair loss.

Athena DAO: A DAO focused on creating a space for women to flourish in the scientific industry by empowering women and giving them all the tools required to grow and promote themselves.

How does these projects benefit from having a DAO governance in DeSci

• Decentralisation of decision-making and funding can help accelerate research by eliminating the need for traditional funding mechanisms.

• The use of blockchain technology can help increase transparency and accountability in research by enabling stakeholders to track the progress of research projects and verify the results of experiments.

• Decentralised networks can help facilitate collaboration between researchers around the world, thus enabling them to share knowledge and resources more effectively.

• The use of blockchain technology can help increase transparency and accountability in projects by enabling stakeholders to track the impact of their contributions and verify the results of projects.

These DAO projects represent just a few examples of the many innovative projects emerging in the field of decentralised science. By leveraging the power of DAO technology and blockchain, these projects are able to accelerate research, increase transparency and accountability, and democratize access to scientific research.

Podcasts about Decentralised Science

There are plenty of DeSci projects and communities to interact and learn from, however, if you’re interested in learning more about decentralised science in detail, there are several podcasts you can listen to. Here are some of the top podcasts in the field:

DeSci Collective Podcast

DeSci Collective Podcast is an initiative by 21 Impact Labs, this podcast is focused on exploring topics related to decentralised science. The podcast covers a range of topics, including blockchain technology, open science, IP issues, and more. Each episode features interviews with experts in the field, who share their insights and perspectives on the latest developments in decentralised science.

The DeSci Podcast

The DeSci Podcast is an initiative by Molecule DAO that is aimed to bring together thought leaders and highlight important topics related to DeSci. The podcast covers topics related to challenges and issues in different scientific fields and how to potentially resolve them using decentralised science.

Epicenter Podcast

Epicenter Podcast is not necessarily focused only on DeSci, however, they focus on important topics in the crypto and blockchain space including DeSci topics by interviewing thought leaders and active members of the community.

These are just a few examples of the many podcasts available for those interested in learning more about decentralised science. By listening to these podcasts, you can stay up-to-date on the latest developments in the field and gain insights into the challenges and opportunities facing decentralised science.

DeSci Events and Community

The DeSci community is growing rapidly, with new projects and initiatives emerging all the time. One of the best ways to get involved in this community is by attending DeSci events. These events provide an opportunity to meet other members of the community, learn about new developments in the field, and share your own work and ideas. Some of the top DeSci events include:

DeSciCon

DeSciCon is an annual conference focused on decentralised science. The conference brings together researchers, scientists, and developers from around the world to discuss the latest trends and developments in the field. It features keynote speeches, panel discussions, and interactive workshops.

DeSci Summit

DeSci Summit is a bi-annual event that brings together researchers, developers, and policymakers to explore the intersection of decentralised science and emerging technologies. The summit features keynote speeches, panel discussions, and networking opportunities.

DeSci Meetups

DeSci Meetups are informal gatherings of DeSci enthusiasts. These meetups provide an opportunity to connect with other members of the community, share your work, and learn about new developments in the field.

Conclusion

While the potential benefits of DeSci are significant, it is important to be aware of the potential risks and take steps to mitigate them. Standardization, regulation, and data privacy and security should be key considerations. By addressing the challenges facing decentralised science, we can unlock the full potential to accelerate scientific discoveries, democratize access to scientific research, and increase transparency and accountability. Overall, the DeSci community is a vibrant and growing community that is pushing the boundaries of scientific research. By actively listening onto DeSci Podcasts, attending DeSci events and participating in online communities, you can play an active role in this exciting field and contribute to the development of decentralised science.

At what.digital we are directly involved in the DeSci space through 21 Impact Labs (which includes DeSci Collective and Cerebrum DAO) assisting the project to curate an active community of researchers, investors, VCs, and influencers, community manage on different social media platforms including Twitter and Discord, along with hosting and sponsoring DeSci Collective Podcast to interview leaders in the DeSci space and promote awareness to everyone. Our learnings from the space has been quite fruitful and we have seen a number of DeSci projects grow exponentially as more funding and awareness reaches the space. Our role at what. is to promote awareness and continuous growth to the space as we believe that this will be beneficial to everyone, DeSci is an important disruption and innovation that will have significant impact on generations to come through scientific advancements in different sectors.

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