Davos Diva CZ Spills Tea on Crypto’s Next Big Hype

At Davos, where the only thing colder than the Swiss weather is the skepticism toward crypto, Binance’s ex-CEO Changpeng Zhao (CZ)-a man who probably owns more NFTs than he does socks-waltzed into a roundtable and dropped three “next big things” that’ll supposedly change your life. Or at least your bank account.

Among these grand visions: crypto payments becoming the new “invisible” way to pay for your latte, and AI agents using crypto like it’s their own personal piggy bank. Because nothing says “future” like robots buying your groceries for you with Bitcoin.

Three Next Big Things (or How to Confuse a Banker)

CZ, the crypto guru with a knack for making the future sound like a Netflix docu-series, declared that exchanges and stablecoins are already “huge businesses.” Translation: people are still buying crypto, even if they don’t know what it is.

When asked for the next big frontiers, CZ spilled three ideas that sound exciting until you realize they’re just fancy buzzwords. Namely:

First up: tokenizing state assets. CZ, ever the optimist, claims governments will tokenize everything from bridges to bureaucracy. If only they’d tokenize their budgeting skills too.

Second: crypto payments. Right now, you convert crypto to fiat to buy a sandwich. CZ predicts this will evolve into something “big.” Spoiler: it’s probably just a sandwich that costs $5,000 in gas fees.

Third: AI agents using crypto as their native currency. Because nothing says “trust” like letting an algorithm trade your life savings. CZ calls it “the most native tech for AI agents.” We call it a recipe for a midlife crisis.

Brick-and-Mortar Banks: The New Library?

CZ also predicted that in 10 years, physical banks will be as relevant as a dial-up modem. Good news: you won’t need to visit one to get a mortgage. Bad news: you’ll probably need a degree in blockchain to open a savings account.

CZ reminded everyone that ING launched online banking 25 years ago. Now, crypto and e-KYC are here to “accelerate the shift.” Translation: your bank will now require you to smile at a camera to prove you’re not a robot. Again.

While CZ insists banks won’t vanish entirely (they do handle mortgages and such), he reckons we’ll visit them less than we visit our in-laws. Brick-and-mortar banks might as well start hosting open mic nights to attract customers.

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2026-01-22 15:59