Vitalik Buterin took the stage at ETH Shanghai 2025 with a strong message: predictive markets are becoming a new medium of information.
He pointed to the role of Polymarket during the elections in the USA as evidence that markets can reflect reality faster than traditional or social media.
He claimed that these markets are not only for major political events. With the integration of AI, they may soon predict smaller, everyday events with astonishing accuracy. This combination of AI and predictive markets could make forecasting more mainstream and intelligent.
Buterin also explored the intersection of AI and blockchain. He described blockchain as a rule-setter, while AI acts as a participant. AI agents could issue tokens, participate in governance, and interact with applications, opening up new experimental opportunities.
However, he emphasized the need for caution. Security risks remain, especially with autonomous AI agents. Zero-Knowledge Identity (ZK ID) could become a key protective mechanism, helping to distinguish people from bots while maintaining privacy and ensuring safer innovations in DeFi.$ETH
