Meme coins, social investing, and DeFi - Fireside Chat with WonderFi // Futurist Conference 2024

Social investing and community elements have become increasingly important in both crypto and traditional markets, with platforms like Blossom enabling users to link brokerage accounts and share trading strategies

Meme coins represent the third major phase of crypto retail investing, following ICOs and NFTs, serving as an entry point that drives engagement but requires balance with more stable investments

Retail investors have become more sophisticated, often allocating 5-20% to speculative assets while maintaining core positions in blue-chip cryptocurrencies and traditional investments

Regulated platforms face challenges balancing innovation with compliance as social investing features become more prominent and demanded by users

ETFs have emerged as a popular gateway for crypto exposure, particularly in Canada where crypto ETFs have been available longer than in the US

The user experience for on-chain wallets and DeFi protocols has improved significantly, though regulatory compliance remains a key hurdle

Social investing platforms are seeing increased institutional adoption, with major banks and brokerages beginning to incorporate social features

Retail trading has evolved from pure speculation to more balanced portfolios combining both speculative and stable investments

The Solana ecosystem has demonstrated success with high throughput and lower fees, enabling new types of social and trading experiences

Transparency in investing through social platforms has become a valued feature, allowing users to verify if people “put their money where their mouth is”