tl;dr
Laura K. Inamedinova, Chief Ecosystem Officer at Gate.io, shared insights on the state of venture capital in the Web3 and crypto space at the Next Block Expo, The Blockchain Festival of Europe 2025. She discussed the factors driving the resurgence of Web3 venture capital in 2025, the impact of insti...
The resurgence of Web3 venture capital in 2025 is being driven by several key factors that are shaping investment strategies and fueling renewed confidence in the market. Laura K. Inamedinova, Chief Ecosystem Officer at Gate.io, shared insights on the current state of venture capital in the Web3 and crypto space at the Next Block Expo, The Blockchain Festival of Europe 2025. Institutional involvement and regulatory advancements are playing a significant role in shaping investment strategies in the Web3 space. The shift towards stablecoins and tokenized assets is gaining momentum due to regulatory clarity, making these assets more attractive to serious investors. Investment theses are aligning with this institutional trend, focusing on RWA tokenization platforms and stablecoin ecosystems to enable compliant, scalable adoption, positioning the industry at the core of crypto’s institutional evolution. Consumer-oriented solutions are expected to maintain momentum in Web3, with a shift towards projects designed to resonate with everyday users and prioritize accessibility, usability, and real-world value. Additionally, the potential for AI, RWA, and payment solutions is being recognized, with expectations for advanced, integrated solutions with real-world applications in areas like automated security, AI-driven trading, and on-chain decision-making. Stablecoin development garnered significant venture capital in late 2024, and this trend is projected to continue in 2025. Projects focusing on strong collateral models, clear regulatory paths, and real-world use cases beyond speculation, particularly those bridging into RWAs or global payments, are being prioritized for investment. Innovations in DeFi and infrastructure are poised to attract funding in 2025, particularly in projects that merge automation with usability and compliance. Platforms offering AI-powered compliance and risk tools in line with regulatory frameworks are expected to stand out in both funding rounds and user adoption. Additionally, strong capital flow is being observed in AI-ready backend systems supporting DeFi layers, with a focus on building high-speed, compliant infrastructure to power the next wave of DeFi and on-chain automation. The market is showing signs of maturity with a shift away from meme coins and AI agents, indicating investor preference for projects with tangible value, strong fundamentals, and real-world applications. The evolving market is moving towards more sustainable narratives such as payments, RWA tokenization, and infrastructure, signaling a phase of real adoption and long-term growth. In evaluating projects for venture investment, the criteria revolve around experienced founders, existing investor backing, valuation, tokenomics, burn rate, and the project’s ability to drive real-world adoption. Balancing the pursuit of emerging trends with the need for sustainable, long-term value creation in Web3 investments requires a keen focus on building technology with a strong foundation to last, as exemplified by the combination of viral narrative and user engagement seen in the rise of AI agent coins. This approach ensures that the tech underlying the trends has the potential for sustainable growth. Laura K. Inamedinova, an award-winning serial entrepreneur and investor, emphasized the importance of prioritizing sustainable, long-term value creation in Web3 investments during discussions at the Next Block Expo, The Blockchain Festival of Europe in 2025. Gate.io is a global cryptocurrency exchange platform that offers various products and services, emphasizing security and a range of tools for managing crypto investments. In summary, the Web3 venture capital landscape in 2025 is driven by institutional involvement, regulatory advancements, consumer-oriented solutions, stablecoin development, DeFi and infrastructure innovations, and a shift towards sustainability and long-term value creation in investments.