Biggest Winners of 2024
HyperLiquid: The Decentralized Trading Phenomenon
Haseeb Qureshi highlights HyperLiquid's groundbreaking token airdrop, calling it this cycle’s "Uniswap moment." Despite limited VC participation, its execution and community engagement set a new benchmark for DeFi platforms.
👉 Explore decentralized trading innovations
U.S. Crypto Regulatory Shift
Robert Leshner notes a pivotal change: U.S. crypto founders transitioned from facing hostility to benefiting from favorable policies, boosting industry confidence.
DeFi’s Resurgence
Tarun Chitra celebrates DeFi’s comeback, dismissing earlier bearish predictions. Protocols once undervalued against L1 chains now thrive with renewed adoption.
Tether’s Dominance
Tom Schmidt applauds Tether (USDT) for its profitability and regulatory strides, cementing its role in global dollarization trends.
Biggest Losers of 2024
Anti-Crypto Policies Fail
Robert identifies regulatory crackdowns as backfiring, with political efforts to suppress crypto proving ineffective.
Layer 2 Consolidation
Tarun observes that many L2s and appchains—like those in Cosmos—struggled with fragmentation, while users consolidated around top-tier solutions.
Financial Nihilism Debunked
Haseeb argues that dismissive attitudes toward crypto tech lost credibility as substantive projects gained traction.
AI Bandwagon Regrets
Tom criticizes those who abandoned crypto for AI, missing the sector’s cyclical recovery.
Top Surprises
Meme Coin Infrastructure Boom
Pump.fun and BonkBot shocked Tarun with $100M+ revenues in their first year, fueling meme coin mania.
Political Token Flop
Tom cites Trump-linked World Liberty Financial’s underwhelming sales as an unexpected twist.
Security Improvements
Haseeb notes zero major L1/DeFi hacks despite higher TVL—a milestone for industry safety.
Best Innovations
Yield Amplification
Robert praises mechanisms like Ethena’s, which boost returns by concentrating rewards among select users.
Liquidity Pools Revolution
Tarun highlights HyperLiquid’s HLP and similar pools for enhancing capital efficiency in perpetual swaps.
Meme of the Year
- Justin Sun’s AI-Generated Birthday Pic (Haseeb)
- Pudgy Penguins’ Empire (Robert)
- Bonk’s Meteoric Rise (Tarun)
Predictions for 2025
| Investor | Forecasts |
|---|---|
| Haseeb | BTC hits $150K; DeFi tokens surge; AI tokens gain hype but lack utility |
| Robert | $180K BTC; U.S. crypto legislation passed; AI scam headlines |
| Tarun | L2 mergers; AI tokens 5x; Solana inflation drops 25% |
| Tom | Viral "pay-to-play" games; XRP ETF approved; major app-layer hack |
👉 Stay ahead with crypto trends
FAQ
Q: Which meme coin infrastructure surprised investors most?
A: BonkBot and Pump.fun, achieving $100M revenues within a year.
Q: What’s the outlook for Bitcoin L2s?
A: Haseeb calls them "ghost towns"—initial hype fizzled as adoption lagged.
Q: Key lesson from 2024’s regulatory shifts?
A: Anti-crypto policies proved politically unviable, fostering pro-innovation stances.
Q: Best investment strategy for 2025?
A: Diversify across DeFi, AI tokens, and BTC while monitoring regulatory developments.