Where is the cryptocurrency industry headed next? Zhao Changpeng reveals "3 major development directions"

Binance founder and former CEO CZ appeared at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, on January 22. During the “New Era of Finance” panel discussion, he mentioned that the three key drivers—“asset tokenization,” “cryptocurrency payments,” and the “integration of artificial intelligence (AI) with crypto assets”—will propel the next phase of development in the cryptocurrency industry. CZ stated that, looking at the current crypto landscape, only “cryptocurrency exchanges” and “stablecoins” truly demonstrate “self-sustaining capabilities” and have mature business models. However, he also firmly believes that the next wave of growth will revolve around three emerging new sectors.

1. Real Asset Tokenization (RWA) CZ believes that “tokenization” will be the main focus in the future, especially government asset tokenization. He observed that more and more governments view tokenization as an efficient financing tool, allowing more flexible allocation of funds for specific purposes such as tourism development, trade market construction, and more. CZ further revealed that he is engaged in in-depth discussions with approximately 12 governments to explore how blockchain can be used to tokenize national assets (such as bonds and infrastructure equity) to raise capital more flexibly. 2. Cryptocurrency Payments CZ mentioned that although Bitcoin and crypto payments have been developed for over 10 years, their adoption rate has not met expectations, and they still have not become mainstream payment methods. However, he also pointed out that such a development curve is not uncommon. In the early stages of many disruptive technologies, there are often numerous attempts and trial-and-error processes, with only a few successful cases that can generate exponential impact. CZ added that while consumers rarely pay directly with cryptocurrencies today, the technology is gradually being integrated into traditional payment systems, becoming part of backend settlement or cross-border clearing. 3. Artificial Intelligence (AI) CZ believes that AI is the third key driving factor. In his view, cryptocurrencies will become the native transaction medium for AI agents. Under this framework, crypto assets will no longer just be investment targets but may serve as infrastructure for the AI economy. Most Meme Coins Cannot Survive Long-Term Discussing the meme coin craze, CZ pointed out that meme coins remain the highest-risk area in the crypto market. He stated that the vast majority of meme coins lack practical use cases and heavily rely on market sentiment and speculative capital, making long-term survival difficult. He admitted that, although there are a few exceptions, such as Dogecoin (DOGE), which has survived over 10 years, these cases are very rare. He believes that most meme coins will not go far, and only projects with cultural significance and community recognition can endure long-term.