Significant Growth in Total Value Locked Across DeFi Projects

As the cryptocurrency market gears up for the anticipated 2025 bull run, investors are increasingly looking for projects that offer more than just speculative gains. The focus is shifting towards cryptocurrencies that demonstrate long-term utility and technological innovation. Among the frontrunners in this space are Unstaked, Bittensor, NEAR Protocol, and Filecoin, each showcasing unique strengths that contribute to their potential for significant growth. These projects are not only gaining traction but are also designed to deliver real-world value through their advanced functionalities. Unstaked stands out with its innovative approach to integrating AI into social platforms. By developing AI agents capable of operating across platforms like Telegram and X, Unstaked aims to enhance user engagement and support. Currently in its presale phase, Unstaked has raised $8.2 million, with a presale price of $0.01043 and a projected launch price of $0.1819, indicating a potential return of 2700%. This focus on AI automation positions Unstaked as a strong contender for the upcoming bull run. Bittensor, on the other hand, is redefining the AI landscape by creating an open network that rewards users for contributing computing power and AI models. With its token TAO experiencing notable price movements, Bittensor's model fosters collaboration rather than competition. NEAR Protocol simplifies Web3 development, making it accessible for developers to create user-friendly applications, while Filecoin addresses the growing demand for decentralized storage solutions. Together, these projects represent a shift towards cryptocurrencies that prioritize functionality and real-world applications, making them worthy of attention as the market evolves towards 2025.

In recent developments within the decentralized physical infrastructure network (DePIN) sector, investors from Pi Network and Filecoin are shifting their focus to Coldware ($COLD). This transition comes after mixed results from both projects, with Pi Network facing challenges during its mainnet launch and Filecoin struggling with scaling issues. Coldware stands out by offering hardware-powered infrastructure that connects digital tokens with physical devices, such as the Larna 2400 smartphone and ColdBook laptop, which serve as nodes in a decentralized network. This innovative approach is attracting attention from disillusioned investors looking for more tangible opportunities. The migration of investors is driven by a combination of disillusionment and strategic capital redeployment. Pi Network's prolonged delays and technical difficulties have led many holders to seek alternatives. Meanwhile, Filecoin's pioneering status in decentralized storage is being challenged by competitors, prompting its investors to diversify into next-generation projects like Coldware. With Coldware's presale approaching its $80 million soft cap, there is a sense of urgency among these experienced investors, who are eager to secure their positions before public listings. What sets Coldware apart is its hardware-first approach, which addresses several critical issues that have hindered DePIN adoption. By creating purpose-built devices that act as network nodes, Coldware eliminates compatibility problems and provides a standardized foundation for developers. This user-friendly model allows everyday users to participate in the network without needing technical expertise. As the DePIN market matures, the shift of investors towards Coldware signals a growing preference for projects that deliver practical, real-world value over theoretical promises, marking a significant evolution in the DePIN landscape.

Coldware ($COLD) is making significant strides in the blockchain space by integrating hardware with blockchain technology. Currently, the project is in its presale phase, with only 37% of tokens remaining at a price of $0.00625. Coldware aims to create a seamless bridge between hardware and blockchain, focusing on usability and real-world applications. Unlike many crypto projects that often rely on vague promises, Coldware is delivering tangible products such as the Larna 2400 smartphone and ColdBook laptop, which are designed to plug directly into the ecosystem and function as lite nodes out of the box. In the broader context of the crypto landscape, Coldware is not alone. Pi Network and Theta Network are also making their mark with unique approaches. Pi Network, boasting over 60 million users, is focused on mobile-first crypto adoption but has faced challenges related to transparency after a significant token transfer raised concerns. Despite this, Pi Network is actively investing in its ecosystem with a new $100 million fund. On the other hand, Theta Network is carving out a niche in decentralized video infrastructure, recently launching an AI Model API service to enhance developer capabilities. However, it remains to be seen if these projects can achieve mass adoption. What sets Coldware apart is its commitment to usability and privacy. The custom operating system is designed to block trackers and minimize data leaks, offering a stark contrast to mainstream tech solutions. With its focus on delivering a plug-and-play Web3 experience, Coldware is not just targeting crypto enthusiasts but aims to appeal to a broader audience. As the presale continues, the project presents a unique opportunity for early investors to engage with a platform that is already operational and focused on real-world usability.

As 2025 approaches, the cryptocurrency market is abuzz with speculation about which tokens will emerge as top performers this year. Investors are shifting their focus from mere hype to tangible progress, adoption rates, and strategic market positioning. Among the frontrunners, BlockDAG is gaining significant attention, alongside established players like Toncoin, Litecoin, and Filecoin, each offering unique advantages worth monitoring. BlockDAG is making waves with its ambitious exchange strategy, planning to list on 20 centralized exchanges on June 13. This aggressive move is not just about visibility; it signifies a readiness to expand its market reach. With over $273 million raised and a presale currently underway, BlockDAG has already sold more than 21.4 billion coins, yielding substantial returns for early investors. Its hybrid model, which combines DAG scalability with Proof-of-Work reliability, is attracting both developers and miners, positioning it as a serious contender in the crypto landscape. On the other hand, Litecoin remains a reliable choice in the crypto sphere, known for its fast transactions and low fees. Its potential in cross-border payments is gaining traction, appealing to investors seeking a blend of legacy trust and future utility. Meanwhile, Toncoin benefits from its integration with Telegram, providing seamless access to millions of users and enhancing its adoption prospects. Lastly, Filecoin is carving out its niche in decentralized storage, catering to the growing demand for secure data solutions. Each of these tokens presents distinct opportunities, but BlockDAG's early momentum and strategic roadmap may give it the edge in the competitive crypto market of 2025.

In an innovative shift towards decentralized connectivity, Roam is transforming the way users share their internet connections. By allowing individuals to contribute both private and public WiFi to a global network, Roam empowers users to monetize their unused bandwidth while providing others with reliable access to the internet. This model not only enhances connectivity but also rewards users with Roam Points, which can be converted into $ROAM or used to participate in various in-app activities, including games and exclusive events. Security and privacy are paramount concerns when sharing internet connections, and Roam addresses these issues with a robust security framework built on blockchain technology. Users maintain full control over their WiFi sharing preferences through the Roam app, allowing them to add, edit, or remove hotspots at their convenience. The platform ensures that all connections are encrypted, safeguarding personal data for both the host and the users accessing the network. Additionally, each Roam account is assigned a unique decentralized identity (DID), further enhancing user privacy and data management. Roam's rapid growth is evident, with over 2 million registered users and more than 3.5 million WiFi hotspots mapped globally, making it the leading decentralized physical infrastructure network (DePIN) for WiFi coverage. This expansion is fueled by a diverse user base, including students, travelers, and local businesses, who are not just consumers but active contributors to the network. By downloading the Roam app, users can easily share their WiFi and earn rewards, thereby participating in a community-driven effort to enhance global connectivity.

Sungkyunkwan University’s AI & Media Lab (AIM Lab), led by Professor Sungeun Hong, has become the 32nd academic institution globally to adopt Theta EdgeCloud, a decentralized GPU infrastructure tailored for AI and machine learning research. This partnership will significantly enhance the AIM Lab's capabilities in areas such as multimodal learning, domain adaptation, and 3D vision. Notably, their recent work, supported by Samsung, titled "Question-Aware Gaussian Experts for Audio-Visual Question Answering," has been accepted as a Highlight Paper at CVPR 2025, one of the most prestigious AI conferences. The integration of Theta EdgeCloud will allow researchers to access high-performance GPU resources on demand, facilitating faster iterations while reducing costs. Professor Hong, an expert in multimodal AI and robotic perception, emphasizes the advantages of Theta EdgeCloud in providing the necessary computing flexibility to advance their research. The AIM Lab's focus on vision-language modeling and privacy-preserving domain transfer will benefit from the decentralized architecture, enabling rapid training and evaluation of models. The collaboration with Samsung further strengthens the lab's research output, showcasing a strategic relationship that enhances the development of impactful AI technologies. The AIM Lab's recent achievements, including the innovative QA-TIGER model for video question answering and a memory-efficient attention mechanism for image segmentation, highlight the lab's commitment to cutting-edge research. By joining a network of esteemed institutions leveraging Theta EdgeCloud, such as Stanford and KAIST, Sungkyunkwan University is poised to lead in the advancement of AI innovation. This partnership not only accelerates research but also positions the AIM Lab at the forefront of developing socially relevant AI applications, demonstrating the power of academic-corporate collaboration in the tech landscape.