Building foundations, not just speed: Why Web3’s next chapter must be about meaning

By Alec, Head of HTX Ventures

For years, Web3 has been experimenting with the promise of freedom — freedom from intermediaries, inefficiencies, and outdated systems. In 2025, this experiment is increasingly being recognised by major institutions and authorities, laying the groundwork for a more fluent identity and money management system.

Governments are beginning to send early signals of recognising Bitcoin not just as an investment, but as a potential strategic asset. Institutions that once hesitated are increasingly stepping into the arena. We now see the liquidity, the infrastructure, and the global interest aligning. As one of the long-standing exchanges and venture capital, we want to ask the question: What should the industry do to benefit in the long run?

There is a temptation, as with every new frontier, to get carried away with the development without enough calibration and revision. Things are particularly harder for crypto founders as the crypto time is fast, and almost everything is tied up financially. Pushed by multiple forces, it is hard to slow down. However, in order to build a long-lasting and self-sufficient company in Web3, the founders nowadays have to extract themselves from the movement for a period and start thinking about meaning.

In traditional finance, painful lessons were learned across every cycle: risk management, transparency, and user trust have been the cornerstones of resilient systems. Web3 is no different. To build systems that endure, projects must first focus on solving real user needs and providing sustainable value, not just chasing speed or speculation. Security and trust must be integral from day one, forming the backbone of long-term credibility.

At HTX Ventures, we have seen glimpses of the future taking shape. Platforms like Babylon are giving Bitcoin new utility beyond simply holding it. Real-world asset tokenisation is opening doors once barred to most. Payment innovations — especially the increasing utilisation of stablecoins — are beginning to lower traditional barriers in global commerce.

Meanwhile, the rise of decentralised physical infrastructure (DePIN) is building a brand new and cheaper way of infrastructure access outside of the dominance of traditional monopolies, anchoring Web3 in tangible user-facing services. Leveraging the Blockchain and Web3 mindset, these projects focus on solving real user needs and delivering true utility through their products.

But achieving that future will require conscious effort.

To truly capture the opportunity ahead, projects must first identify their core users and ask: Are we solving real, lasting needs? Are we addressing inefficiencies that traditional systems failed to fix — whether it’s remittance costs, infrastructure gaps, or access to high-quality financial assets? Projects like DePIN networks or stablecoin payment rails are demonstrating what it means to provide true utility through direct user value and transparent use cases.

Next, tokenomics, capital management, and governance structures must be designed to support long-term ecosystem growth. That includes avoiding overly front-loaded token unlocks, aligning incentives with sustained contribution, and enabling DAO governance that evolves over time rather than hardcoding rigid control by early stakeholders. A thoughtful approach — such as Babylon’s staking mechanism or Shell Finance’s use of Discreet Log Contracts (DLCs) to ensure fair liquidation — can turn capital flows into durable network effects.

Finally, risk management must be embedded from day one. This doesn’t just mean smart contract audits, but building in resilience — through permissionless fallback paths, real-time oracle redundancy, and crisis protocols. Especially as institutional adoption rises, the ability to demonstrate security under pressure will determine which platforms graduate from hype to infrastructure.

Only by building credibility layer by layer — through utility, structure, and discipline — can we invite broader adoption: from sovereign funds exploring Bitcoin allocations, to retail users entering the Web3 ecosystem for the very first time.

In a world where some governments are cautiously exploring Bitcoin reserves, and where stablecoins are gaining traction in cross-border payments, the opportunity before us is substantial — but so is the responsibility.

Every project launched today shapes the foundation of future trust. How tokens are distributed, how communities are governed — these choices will define the longevity of Web3.

The next chapter for Web3 will belong to those who move deliberately, building systems with resilience, transparency, and user value at their core. Speed and hype may create moments; only meaning creates legacy.