NFTs are probably rising again bigger then ever, but next NEW thing could be zero knowledge smart contracts on layer 1. People always assume that because something is zero knowledge, it would be a privacy coin that's going to be wiped out because of regulators. But privacy coins can be build so that they comply with regulations. So i honestly think what Dusk is doing could change the whole game.
But you can't really know what kind of protocols are going to be adopted by the whales of crypto. No one rally knew when first NFT prototypes were launched how big it would get and how it would be implemented.
How could privacy coins be "private" if they comply with regulations? I think it would be all of the contrary, especially when crypto exchanges have strict KYC/AML rules. Zero-Knowledge proofs are the future, but if the technology is going to be regulated by the government, then its purpose would be futile.
Unfortunately, there's nothing we can do if we want to attract investors into crypto/Blockchain tech. What exactly the next big thing will be is just a wild guess. At least, we know crypto won't be going anywhere soon. Who knows if it lasts for generations? Just my opinion
