5 Digital Asset Trends To Watch, From Self-Sovereign Identity to Multi-Party Computation
Across Asia and beyond, privacy-preserving cryptography, AI-driven compliance, and cross-chain infrastructure are converging to solve the industry’s oldest problems: transparency without exposure, oversight without friction, and interoperability without compromise.
Technologies such as zero-knowledge proofs, multi-party computation, and self-sovereign identity are now being built into production systems, quickly moving away from being mere digital asset trends.
Yet as the GFTN Global Digital Assets Report reveals, progress remains uneven. 40% of its respondents cite infrastructure gaps like liquidity, scalability, and regulatory compliance are the biggest barriers to adoption. 19% point to the technology itself causing the limitation, including matters like complex user interfaces and security vulnerabilities.
Still, optimism endures. 11% believe that flexible, technology-neutral regulation can unlock sustainable innovation and growth within the digital asset ecosystem.
The story ahead is about how these technologies successfully hardwire trust, auditability, and adaptability into the foundations of digital assets. Five emerging technology trends, derived from the GFTN report, are shaping digital asset transformation over the next decade.
Trend 1: Zero-Knowledge Proofs
Source: armmypicca on Freepik
Zero-knowledge proofs (ZKPs) are essentially cryptographic protocols that let one party prove that a statement is true without showing the actual data behind it. In blockchain, this means verifying balances or transactions without exposing identities or sensitive transaction details, a step forward for privacy-preserving finance.
Scalable cryptography frameworks have already come underway, with advances like zk-SNARKs and zk-STARKs making ZKPs faster, cheaper, and practical enough for large-scale use like in Ethereum Layer-2 networks. Regulators are exploring how the technology could simplify compliance, too, by letting institutions send zero-knowledge attestations (instead of raw customer data) for AML checks.
The BIS Innovation Hub, working with the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, has already prototyped a retail CBDC using ZKPs to enable private transactions with selective regulatory visibility, Project Aurum 2.0.
Trend 2: Fully Homomorphic Encryption
Source: prebcreations on Freepik
The next in digital asset trends, Fully Homomorphic Encryption (FHE), allows computation to be performed on encrypted data itself. The results, once decrypted, are identical to what they would be if the same operations were run on plain text.
In simpler terms, it lets organisations analyse or process information without ever exposing the underlying data itself, which could be a major step for secure data sharing and compliance.
Moving beyond theory, CryptoLab partnered with UClone to launch FHE-powered AI agents for consumers, showcasing the technology’s use in everyday applications.
The challenge, though, lies in its computational costs and hardware-intensive demands, which could limit its scalability. Still, FHE’s potential is enormous. It could be crucial in privacy-preserving regtech and cross-border Personally Identifiable Information control, aside from also enabling real-time AML or analytics on encrypted data.
Trend 3: Self-Sovereign Identity
Source: freepik on Freepik
Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI) is a decentralised identity framework that gives individuals and organisations control over their digital identities without relying on a central issuing authority. It leverages blockchain or distributed ledger technology to verify credentials while allowing users to decide what information is shared, for how long, and with whom.
A real-world example is the LACChain SSI initiative in Latin America, which enables citizens without formal banking histories to prove their credentials and access DeFi and microcredit platforms. The framework works across participating countries and is now being tested for compliance use in crypto remittances.
There’s also growing momentum to integrate SSI into national digital ID systems, with countries like Canada, Estonia, and South Korea adopting its principles to give citizens greater privacy and interoperability across platforms. Its benefits are significant, as SSI could transform onboarding, KYC updates, and cross-border jurisdiction portability, while also potentially reducing repetitive verification costs.
Trend 4: Quantum-Resistant Cryptography
Source: wahyu_t via Freepik
Quantum-resistant cryptography refers to cryptographic algorithms that are built to stay secure, even against the immense computational power of quantum computers. In other words, it protects against future threats that could break widely used encryption and signature systems.
A strong example is Quranium’s mainnet launch, rolled out alongside its QSafe Wallet, a blockchain platform built with quantum-resistant cryptography at protocol and wallet levels. The project positions itself as a secure infrastructure layer for the next generation of blockchain systems.
The current risk for this technology is considered low in the short term but high in the future. Experts, in fact, predict that the first serious quantum threats could appear around 2030. Notably, while most existing crypto infrastructure isn’t yet ready for the technology, the benefits of early adoption are clear.
Quantum-resistant algorithms could be a critical factor in future-proofing CBDCs, safeguarding key management, and protecting digital identities in the post-quantum era.
Trend 5: Multi-Party Computation
Source: user20248055 on Freepik
The last of the digital asset trends on this list, multi-party computation or MPC, is a cryptographic technique that allows multiple parties to jointly perform a computation without revealing their individual inputs.
In digital assets, it’s used for secure private key management by splitting a key into several encrypted shares, distributed across different systems or entities. This means no single party ever holds the full key, eliminating single points of failure and greatly strengthening security.
Zodia Custody, backed by Standard Chartered, applies MPC to deliver bank-grade digital asset custody for institutional clients. By deploying MPC key sharding over independent environments, Zodia complies with FCA custody compliance while also achieving immediate transaction approvals.
MPC is considered low-risk, having been tested extensively in different environments. Most regulatory focus now centres on operational governance rather than the technology itself.
The Road Ahead for Digital Assets
AI-driven tools are already being tested in compliance, supervision, and market surveillance, helping regulators and financial institutions monitor risks more efficiently. At the same time, zero-knowledge proofs are gaining traction in pilots focused on privacy-preserving and identity compliance.
Source: GFTN Global Digital Assets Report
According to the infographic above, by the middle of the 10-year horizon, tokenisation is expected to become a core part of mainstream financial infrastructure. The infrastructure for tokenising funds, sovereign bonds, and other real-world assets is expected to become practical, along with embedded compliance features that enforce eligibility and AML rules in real time.
This shift could dramatically improve transparency, reduce settlement times, and lower operational costs across the financial system.
Over the long term, the rise of quantum computing could introduce systemic risks. In anticipation, global standard-setters such as NIST and the BIS are already developing post-quantum cryptography frameworks to protect future financial infrastructure.
As the line between technology and finance continues to blur, digital assets are set to become the programmable core of a more transparent, resilient, and connected global economy.
Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by Who is Danny via Freepik
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