Predictions tend to be way off, heavily biased on the present moment and underestimating negatives. Also they are pretty worthless without skin in the game. If I’m right I’ll repost this blog, if I’m not I’ll never speak about it again. Anyway, let me know what your predictions are as well! Here are mine.
Financial System
- The International Monetary Fund and central banks will create digital versions of our currencies, such as the digital euro. They’ll hand out free money to make it popular fast (Let’s say 100 euro). Digital money provides new opportunities to control it. Such as decreasing your funds when you don’t spend it, restrict what it can be spent on (groceries only, no gambling), automatically deduct taxes, and more. It’s a hedge against cryptocurrencies and unbacked fiat currency which has to come crashing down sometimes due to the massive debt and quantitative easing (money printer go brrr).
- Universal Basic Income is introduced in at least one country. Automation destroys more jobs than are created and therefore UBI is introduced.
- Decentralised Finance (DeFi) makes up 5% of the financial system. Lending, mortgages, and contracts will be created and enforced by smart contracts on DeFi services. 80% of existing contracts such as lending will be replaced. Accountants, notaries and bankers will create and assist in the creation of these contracts. But they’ll largely be cut out as middlemen. It took 20 years before the internet transitioned from a nerd hobby to something which impacts all our lives. I’m guessing with DeFi it’s the same, once it’s safer, more user-friendly, and trusted adopted will go fast.
- Cryptocurrencies will become mainstream and as easy to buy as pizza.
- The gap between poor and rich will increase due to low yield on work and the high yield on capital.
- Consumers will be happy but own nothing. From the dishwasher to your bike, car, and apartment. In 2030 everything is subscription-based.
Space Exploration
- First successful cargo mission to Mars. But the first person on Mars will take another 5-10 years.
- The first major space conflict will take place between nations. Perhaps it’s satellites crashing into each other, blowing up a spy satellite, or about territory.
Tech
- Decentralization will have a renaissance. There will be a harder divide between people using all potential of tech but giving up their privacy in the process and people who denounce technology and try to stay away from it.
- People will depart from the massive platforms and start forming smaller sub-communities again. The connecting node is an influencer within a niche who will facilitate the community.
- Remote work is normal. Offices are for meetings and catching up. Most of the knowledge work happens at home. Working completely remotely for companies is normal.
- A startup will create a platform that will connect your tasks in a more advanced way than the traditional job board such as UpWork and more complicated tasks as Amazon Mechanical Turk. The digital gig economy.
- Countries start creating and enforcing digital borders, just like country borders. For example, they’ll store the citizen’s data themselves.
- The have’s and have not’s decline online. Everyone sees the same Google homepage. A carpenter can’t rent a yacht for a week but he can have the same iPhone as a billionaire.
- Everything will adapt to you. Less privacy, more customisation. Your DNA will be sequenced for medical solutions tailored to your body. Your phone will broadcast your identity to nearby devices who adjust to your preferences.
Lifestyle
- Loneliness becomes a major problem. As people are shallowly connected with the whole world but fail to obtain a deeper connection. Caused by a distorted image through social media, resulting in unrealistic expectations. As well as a less social opportunity.
- Cloudkitchens will take a big bite out of traditional restaurants.
- AR/VR/Virtual events will take a big chunk out of the event/conference market.