AI and DeFi Lead Growth in DApp Sector Amid Gaming Dominance

According to Cointelegraph, the decentralized applications (DApp) sector saw significant activity in January, with gaming and decentralized finance (DeFi) maintaining their dominance. A report from DappRadar on February 6 highlighted that artificial intelligence (AI) applications are gaining traction within the industry. DappRadar's data indicated that the daily average number of unique active wallets (UAW) in January was 26.7 million, marking a 6% decrease from December. Despite this decline, DeFi applications expanded their market share, securing their position as the leading category in the DApp industry. DeFi accounted for 28.1% of all active wallets, closely followed by gaming applications at 27.8%. Non-fungible token (NFT) DApps captured 16.1% of the market, while SocialFi applications held a 6.3% share. AI-powered DApps recorded 2.2 million unique active wallets, representing 8.5% of the total DApp market. DappRadar described AI as a "major growth sector" and a potential catalyst for the next bull market in Web3. The AI category surpassed the SocialFi category, which only had 6.3% of UAWs. DappRadar expressed optimism about the future growth of AI in the DApp space, despite its impact and importance not yet being fully realized. In the AI category, a DApp named "LOL" led with 28.6 million unique active wallets in January. It was followed by Dmail Network with 4.9 million and the virtual influencer platform MEET48 with 2.8 million. These figures underscore the increasing interest in AI applications within the Web3 space. On February 4, researchers from Switzerland-based crypto bank Sygnum Bank identified crypto AI agents as one of 2025's emerging trends. They noted that interest in AI-related crypto projects has "grown substantially." However, they also pointed out that while AI agents are gaining traction, they still face challenges in proving their worth, and the niche remains speculative. Despite these challenges, the intersection of Web3 and AI continues to evolve. On February 6, stablecoin issuer Tether announced its venture into AI applications. Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino revealed on X that the company's AI division is developing an AI translator, voice assistant, and Bitcoin wallet assistant. This move highlights the ongoing integration of AI technologies within the cryptocurrency and blockchain sectors.