2025 is almost here
With the holidays fast approaching and the prospect of a few days of well-deserved rest looming, everyone is looking for some low-key “feel-good news” to carry them into 2025. Many predictions will focus on Bitcoin’s recent bull run, and make no mistake: its increase in value is great news for everyone involved in building the blockchain-based future.
But the price of Bitcoin is like the chocolate coins you find at the bottom of your stocking: sweet and pleasant, but ultimately unfulfilling. The best gifts are those that bring us long-term joy, nourishment and value and complement the sugar rush of short-term price spikes.
So let’s highlight some of the key trends that will shape the decentralization economy in the coming year and drive the 2025 “blockbuster” in AI, crypto, quantum and blockchain. These are tricky, so tell me where you agree and where you disagree!
1. Rise in corporate Bitcoin treasuries
Corporate Bitcoin adoption will reach a tipping point in 2025 as major companies adopt MicroStrategy’s pioneering approach to treasury management. This shift will go beyond simple asset diversification – companies will integrate Bitcoin into their operating strategies and use it as collateral for loans, employee compensation and international payments.
Bitcoin. (Photo illustration by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)
Traditional financial institutions will respond by introducing comprehensive crypto services, including Bitcoin-backed mortgages and crypto-backed lines of credit. This mainstreaming of Bitcoin into corporate finance will stabilize cryptocurrency markets and reduce volatility that has deterred institutional investors in the past.
Amazon shareholders are already following MicroStrategy’s lead and recommending that the company diversify into Bitcoin to combat inflation and increase value. I expect at least five Fortune 500 companies to invest more than 5% of their treasury reserves in Bitcoin by the end of the year.
2. The era of next practices
“Best practices” are being replaced by “next practices” as companies move from repeating past successes to anticipating future opportunities.
Tesla is making this clear by redefining automotive norms with direct-to-consumer sales, over-the-air updates and integrated energy solutions, creating new revenue streams such as energy storage and software subscriptions. Similarly, Netflix has transformed media by using AI to predict viewer preferences, investing in original content, and setting new global distribution standards.
Tesla and their next practices. (Photo by Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images).
This shift prioritizes AI-driven foresight and experimentation, enabling companies to lead in disruptive industries like retail and healthcare. A next practice is a forward-looking strategy that anticipates future opportunities rather than repeating past successes. I coined the term to emphasize innovation, experimentation and predictive frameworks to create entirely new markets and disrupt traditional business models.
3. Microdramas take over
Ultra-short (1-5 minutes) “microdramas” will revolutionize entertainment with AI-generated storylines that adapt to viewer interaction in real time. Blockchain-based smart contracts ensure creators get paid instantly, which is directly tied to audience engagement and interaction.
Traditional studios will struggle to keep up with the speed and personalization of AI-native studios, with at least one valued at more than $1 billion. As one visionary, Anina Net, founder of 360 Fashion Network and actress, put it: “In the future, stories will find you, not the other way around.”
The set of a microdrama (Photo by Ma Jian/VCG via Getty Images)
Expect streaming giants to open microdrama divisions as top actors collaborate with AI studios to create scalable, hyper-personalized content that captivates in just minutes.
4. Rise of AI-native companies
A new type of company will emerge, built from the ground up on AI capabilities. These organizations will use AI for everything from strategic planning to daily operations, creating new standards of business efficiency and adaptability. Key features include:
- Automated decision systems that handle 80% of routine business processes
- AI-driven talent acquisition and development programs that predict employee success with 90% accuracy
- Real-time market analysis and strategy adjustment functions
- Personalized customer experiences that instantly adapt to behavioral changes
The disruption will not come from long-established companies retrofitting AI into existing processes, but from start-ups that take full advantage of AI in their conception. These AI-native companies will reimagine industries by aligning their entire structure with the transformative potential of AI.
As Navroop Sahdev, CEO and founder of the Digital Economist, commented in a recent Factured Futures webinar: “AI-native companies aren’t just leveraging technology – they’re redefining the fabric of how organizations operate. By integrating AI into their foundation.” “These companies are setting new standards for agility, innovation and impact.”
It’s fascinating to see where new AI startups are heading. The real revolution will be driven by companies that integrate AI into their DNA, not those that try to integrate it into legacy systems.
5. Explainable AI becomes mandatory
In 2025, transparency in AI decision-making will become a regulatory imperative, driving the…
