Institutional allocators are at the heart of @NetworkMedici

2025 has been off to a rough start for this group amidst a challenging macro environment. Although the willingness to invest in digital assets is high, tight risk budgets make securing allocations difficult.

Despite these headwinds, there are clear signs of progress. Notably, a heightened interest in liquid funds as a contrarian and more liquid play to blockchain VCs.

A market structure bill could be a big unlock.

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Unlocking real-world use cases with Eigenlayer and zkTLS

One thing that became clear in LA is that the combination of @eigenlayer's verifiable cloud and zkTLS could be a big unlock for real-world use cases.

One of the Actively Validated Services (AVSs) built on top of EigenLayer, @OpacityNetwork, and two of its Web2 customers - @earnos_io and Earnifi - took the stage and showcased the power of the verifiable cloud.

What these Web2 apps have in common is that they are all using blockchain under the hood and that they are providing a 10X better user experience.

Watch this space...the consensus is that we've just scratched the surface. A Cambrian explosion of novel apps, previously impossible, is on its way.

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The Ethereum Renaissance is here—fueled by stablecoin and institutional adoption

LA 25 offered foresight into the unfolding @ethereum Renaissance, fueled by stablecoin and institutional adoption. As one founder put it: "people conflate #Ethereum and $ETH the asset. Ethereum as an ecosystem is doing really really well.”

We further explored how new founders are bringing innovations that ready blockchains for interaction with the real world at Web2 scale.

Middleware is key to any great application, with founders from @get_optimum, @SpaceandTimeDB, and @commonwarexyz among those presenting.

Speed improvements were another prominent theme, exemplified by projects like @rise_chain and @0xMiden.

Ultimately, blockchains are increasingly ready to support Web2-scale applications and activity.

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The Institutions have arrived. Now comes the hard part...

The world’s largest financial players have turned from curious observers into active participants - embracing digital assets to give both retail and institutional investors unprecedented market access.

The focus has shifted beyond just #bitcoin access to building the rails for a new financial system, and, as we've seen play out since LA, the time is “now, not years out.”

It's not all roses though - with regulatory clarity underway, the primary constraints have become practical, centered on compatibility with existing systems, and a scarcity of quality, tokenized assets on-chain.

Bullish tokenization?

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LA 25 Core Themes

The core theme at LA 25 was convergence of the traditional and on-chain worlds, which the industry is experiencing across the board.

Web2 / Web3 convergence is being driven by the growing demand for more user-centric, secure, and transparent online experiences. And the digital-natives of Gen Z are a driving force behind the trend.

However, UX is key, with one proven approach being “taking Web3 properties, and meeting Web2 where it’s at.”The general sentiment is that it will be a tale of two worlds – applications where blockchains operate behind the scenes, and others that are fully on-chain.

Stablecoins, offering better financial rails, will likely be a big unlock.

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This post is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial or investment advice.