In the year ahead and beyond, the crypto world will continue to see infrastructure development, proliferation of protocols, expansion of the metaverse, evolution of non-fungible tokens (NFTs), as well as increased regulation, according to Michael Sonnenshein, CEO of major digital asset investment firm Grayscale.

In a letter to investors, the CEO took a moment to look back, stating that “it is remarkable where we are today compared to 12 months ago.”

Crypto and Web3 are seeing increased attention and acceptance by the media, regulators, legacy financial institutions, and world leaders. Therefore, crypto is continually increasing its footprint and becoming “further woven into the global economy,” according to Sonnenshein.

As for his look into the future of crypto, the CEO says he is focused on “the big picture,” listing five key trends to watch in 2022 and beyond:

The digital economy requires the tools and services that facilitate access to and usage of crypto, which is why crypto infrastructure will continue to grow. This includes exchanges, wallets, and analytics software.

“As the crypto economy and existing financial markets become increasingly intertwined, these are likely to provide some of the most compelling long-term investment opportunities.”

The increase in the number of different crypto protocols is “staggering, “ and it is not slowing down, finds the CEO.

“Sorting through these protocols to separate the wheat from the chaff continues to be challenging, requiring deep knowledge of both the technology and the marketplace.”

The Web2 experience is defined by large centralized corporations, with the users being the product and the means of revenue generation, argues Sonnenshein. On the other hand, Web3, which, per the