In 2025, the Web3 field will see more technological breakthroughs and innovative applications. From the vigorous development of scaling technologies to the 'ChatGPT moment' of privacy protection, the blockchain ecosystem is gradually improving and expanding. This article is based on Equilibrium's annual forecast report, outlining the key trends for Web3 in the coming year and providing a panoramic view from scaling to privacy.
I. Rapid development of scaling technologies.
1. The number of Ethereum scaling solutions will exceed 2000.
The number of Ethereum scaling solutions (L2/L3) is expected to exceed 2000 by the end of 2025, growing approximately 17 times. This explosive growth stems from two directions:
Application-specific scaling solutions: dedicated solutions in areas such as gaming, DeFi, payments, social networking, etc.
Enterprise-level scaling solutions: blockchain expansion technologies launched by traditional companies (such as Coinbase, Kraken).
2. Ethereum's scaling multiple exceeds 200 times.
The scaling multiple of Ethereum is the throughput improvement ratio of L2/L3 solutions compared to Ethereum L1. The current scaling multiple is 25 times, and by 2025, it will exceed 200 times. This not only reflects user demand but also validates the success of Ethereum's modular scaling roadmap.
3. Solana's transaction processing capacity breaks through 5000 TPS.
The non-voting transaction processing capacity of the Solana network is expected to reach an average of 5000 TPS by 2025. Key drivers include:
Firedancer client goes live: enhancing performance through more efficient concurrent transactions.
Anza client optimization: Performance improvements by drawing on the design of Firedancer.
Other performance optimizations: such as fee market adjustments, scheduling optimizations, block size increases, etc.
4. Over 80% of L2/L3 data will be published to alternative DA layers.
By 2025, most L2/L3 data will no longer be directly published on Ethereum, but will shift to alternative data availability (DA) layers, such as Celestia, Avail, etc. The proportion of alternative DA layers is expected to grow from the current 35% to 80%, further promoting the development of the scaling ecosystem.
5. ZK-based scaling solutions surpass Optimistic solutions.
As zero-knowledge proof (ZK) technology becomes faster and cheaper, ZK scaling solutions will dominate. By the end of 2025, the number of ZK-based solution deployments is expected to exceed 50%, driving stronger interoperability and security.
II. New breakthroughs in privacy protection technology.
6. Privacy technology welcomes the 'ChatGPT moment'.
The value of privacy protection will be widely recognized, driving blockchain applications to expand from basic protection to new application scenarios. For example, enterprises can use privacy technology to protect sensitive data, and individual users will collaborate more efficiently in anonymous environments.
7. Decentralized VPN users grow to 10% of TOR.
Nym's decentralized VPN network is expected to reach 200,000 to 300,000 users, accounting for 10% of TOR network users. Its strong privacy features and decentralized architecture will attract more users, especially in an environment with growing privacy demands.
8. At least one major Rollup integrates privacy computing.
The Rollup ecosystem will integrate privacy computing technologies (such as multi-party computation, fully homomorphic encryption, or trusted execution environments) in production environments for the first time, allowing users to enjoy privacy protection without redeploying to privacy-focused networks.
9. Over 90% of ZK proofs will be generated in a decentralized manner.
Decentralized proof networks (such as Gevulot) will become mainstream, generating over 90% of ZK proofs by the end of 2025. This approach enhances censorship resistance, reduces costs, and simplifies operations.
10. At least three startups promote indistinguishability obfuscation (IO).
Indistinguishability obfuscation (IO) as a cutting-edge direction in privacy technology will attract more investment. It is expected that at least three startups will drive its development, accelerating the practical application of this groundbreaking technology.
III. Enhancements in user experience and interoperability.
11. Over 25% of transactions generated through chain abstraction.
Chain abstraction enhances user experience by masking the complexity of underlying chains. By 2025, it is expected that at least 25% of on-chain transactions will be generated through chain abstraction, allowing users to operate without understanding the underlying chain.
12. Solana applications achieve seamless Rollup experience.
At least one Solana application will run on Rollup scaling solutions, but the user experience will feel like operating on L1, demonstrating a higher standard of user experience.
13. Native interoperability becomes mainstream.
New Rollup deployments based on the ZK technology stack will significantly increase, providing users with an experience similar to a single chain. This will drive application developers to focus on user experience and business innovation, rather than the complexity of underlying technologies.
IV. Web3's infrastructure and consensus technology.
14. Ethereum's Gas limit doubles.
Ethereum's maximum Gas limit will increase from 30m Gas per block to 60m Gas, further alleviating the tightness of block space and providing stronger support for high-value applications.
15. The rise of DAG-based consensus.
At least one existing network will transition to a DAG-based consensus mechanism by 2025. This consensus mechanism reduces communication overhead and improves blockchain efficiency, providing new directions for the next generation of blockchains.
16. Accelerated development of ZK proof technology.
ZK technology will further optimize the cost and time of proof, making more use cases possible. For example, the general zkVM will complete the proof of an Ethereum block in 30 seconds.
Conclusion: Moving towards a new era of Web3.
By 2025, the technical ecosystem of Web3 will be more complete, with groundbreaking advancements in scaling, privacy, user experience, and infrastructure further driving the popularization of blockchain. Although challenges still exist, such as the complexity of privacy technology and the coordination in a multi-chain world, the rapid iteration of the industry and the spirit of exploration bring limitless possibilities for the future.
Web3 is not merely a collection of technologies, but a new attempt at social operation. On this path, we are moving from optimizing infrastructure to comprehensive user empowerment, and the future will belong to those builders who can combine technological innovation with practical needs.