WEF at Davos 2025 & Tech Predictions

TECH IN THE NEWS

Inaugural Address — Trump pledged to end US “decline”, usher in a new "golden age," prioritize US interests, onshore manufacturing, unleash energy production, reform trade and immigration policy, and declared a border emergency.

Debt Dispute — The US hits the $36T debt ceiling today, Treasury has taken emergency measures as Republicans face internal divisions over raising the limit.

DOGE Drama — Trump was sued 10 minutes into his tenure by watchdog groups over plans to create the Department of Efficiency, citing transparency concerns.

Trump Token Soars — A new $TRUMP cryptocurrency reached a $10B market cap, as the price jumped from $10 to a high of $74.59 ahead of the inauguration.

AI Super-Agents — OpenAI is expected to unveil PhD-level AI super-agents at a closed-door briefing to US officials on advanced AI capabilities on Jan 30.

AI-Social Merger — Perplexity AI has made a bid to merge with TikTok US, allowing ByteDance investors to retain stakes in the new combined entity.

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Hamilton — The protocol specializing in tokenizing real-world assets (RWA) on Bitcoin, has raised a $1.7M pre-seed round led by DisrupTech Ventures with input from CMS, DeSpread, Hyperithm, Core Ventures, and other strategic investors.

THE HOTTEST THING IN TECH
WEF at Davos 2025 & Tech Predictions

The World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos 2025 kicks off today, and looks set to be dominated by significant discussions impacting the economy, technology, trade and the year ahead. AI is a central theme, with the conference theme of "Collaboration for the Intelligent Age", and WEF Chairman Klaus Schwab referring to the converging technologies “reshaping the very fabric of our world”. A key focus will be on the shift from theoretical AI to practical applications in 2025, particularly with "agentic AI" entering the workforce. The return of Donald Trump to the White House is also looming large, causing a significant shift in attitudes as leaders grapple with the implications of his policies on global collaboration and trade. The Forum is even streaming via its “Global Collaboration Village” extended reality platform, which seems very on-brand for 2025.

Tech Sector at Davos

More than 900 CEOs will be at Davos 2025, including what the WEF said will include a notable contingent of unicorn founders and tech pioneers. However, there is a notable absence of Silicon Valley leaders, with many choosing to attend Trump’s inauguration in D.C. instead. 

Despite this, a major focus of the forum will be on "frontier technologies" and quantum computing. The rise of AI agents is prompting a rethink of business models, as companies explore how to get paid for their work, and who gets the credit and revenue from their use. The conversation is shifting to the practical value of AI, moving beyond the hype. OpenAI’s Sam Altman says 2025 is when AI agents will actually join the workforce, and the company is set to launch its “Operator” product this month. OpenAI is also widely expected to unveil PhD-level AI super-agents, capable of tackling complex tasks at an expert level, at a closed-door briefing to US officials on advanced AI capabilities on Jan 30.

The rapid advance of AI agents is also raising serious discussions at Davos around both the potential benefits and challenges raised by the tech. National leaders are concerned about the potential for mass layoffs and the impacts on social systems. Ideas such as upskilling and Universal Basic Income (UBI) are likely to be high on the agenda to ensure workforces have employment or means to survive. However, AI is also seen as offering potential solutions to problems like Japan's aging population (with 30% of its population now elderly) and the resulting talent crisis with a lack of skilled workers. Many other nations are likely to suffer similar problems soon. 

The Trump Card at Davos

Donald Trump himself attended Davos in 2018 and 2020. This year, he plans to give a virtual address. Many business and political leaders who had previously distanced themselves from Trump in favor of the globalist agenda WEF has been pushing over recent years, are now aligning with him. This is reflected in the rollback of diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, as well as the abandonment of "net zero" alliances by major US companies and the six largest banks in the country. This "embrace Trump" attitude could signal a move away from some of the ideas traditionally celebrated at Davos, such as globalization and sustainability. 

Finance and Cryptocurrency 

Wall Street remains committed to Davos, with JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon and other banking executives rumored to be sticking to their usual schedules for this pivotal finance sector event. 

The increasing importance of crypto is also a noteworthy theme that will be discussed at Davos 2025, with bitcoin passing the $100,000 mark and regulators debating how to manage digital assets globally. A new $TRUMP memecoin, majority controlled by companies affiliated to Trump, reached a $10B market cap, as the price jumped from $10 to a high of $74.59 ahead of the inauguration. 

Trump is expected to adopt a more favorable stance toward cryptocurrency than in his previous administration. He is reportedly open to creating an "America-first" crypto reserve, potentially prioritizing U.S.-based coins like USDC, SOL, and XRP. His broader industry promises include appointing a more crypto-friendly SEC Chair, forming a Crypto Presidential Advisory Council, turning the U.S. into a bitcoin mining "powerhouse," repealing SAB 121, and ending the debanking agenda of "Operation Choke Point 2.0". These shifts in policy and sentiment signal a potential for increased growth in decentralized finance (DeFi) projects and a relaxation of regulations on token-driven fundraising.

The full WEF program can be found here, with many of the sessions being streamed live. We’ll be watching closely and bringing you the most important developments. 

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