Gaming and DeFi: Driving the Future of the DApps Market in 2025

The decentralized applications (DApps) market is dominated by gaming and decentralized finance (DeFi), but artificial intelligence (AI) is gaining ground. In January, AI DApps recorded 2.2 million active users, indicating growing adoption. This evolution could shape the future of Web3 and cryptocurrencies.

Gaming and DeFi Dominate the DApp Sector

In January 2025, DappRadar reported 26.7 million unique active wallets (UAW) per day in the DApps market, a decrease of 6% compared to December. Despite this decline, DeFi remains the dominant category with 28.1% of active users, closely followed by gaming at 27.8%. NFT DApps represent 16.1% of the market, while SocialFi applications hold 6.3%.

However, a notable trend from this report is the rise of AI-based DApps, which recorded 2.2 million active wallets, accounting for 8.5% of the market! A sector considered by many as the potential driver for the next Web3 bull run. Among the emerging AI DApps, LOL stands out with 28.6 million active wallets, followed by Dmail Network (4.9 million) and MEET48 (2.8 million), a platform dedicated to virtual influencers.

AI and Web3: A Convergence in Progress

On February 4, researchers from Sygnum Bank, a crypto bank based in Switzerland, stated that AI agents in the crypto domain were one of the emerging trends for 2025. Despite the growing interest in crypto projects related to AI, researchers noted that these agents struggle to “prove their value,” and that this field remains highly speculative.

Nevertheless, the intersection between Web3 and AI continues to evolve, as announced on February 6 by the stablecoin issuer Tether, which is also entering the AI applications space.

The rise of AI-based DApps marks a new step in the evolution of Web3. Despite an still speculative market, their rapid adoption suggests transformative potential. With the entry of major players like Tether, AI could play a key role in the next phase of innovation in the blockchain ecosystem.