Seven Crypto Executives Share Their 2025 Predictions: Mergers, a $250 Billion Stablecoin Boom, and a ‘Significant’ Crash

What’s Next for Crypto?

After a transformative 2024 marked by the launch of crypto exchange-traded funds, Wall Street’s expanding interest, and the re-election of Donald Trump, the future of crypto in 2025 is filled with both opportunities and challenges. Seven industry leaders weigh in:

1. Michael Harvey, Head of Franchise Trading, Galaxy Digital

The revival of decentralized finance (DeFi) is already underway, driven by likely regulatory clarity and improvements in user experience. Leading protocols on Ethereum, like Uniswap, Aave, and Compound, are set for growth, while emerging projects such as Spark and Ethena signal the next phase of innovation. Solana is also proving its dominance in DeFi, with DEX volumes surpassing Ethereum. Even Bitcoin is becoming programmable with initiatives like Ordinals and the BRC-20 protocol, hinting at a growing BTCFi ecosystem.

2. Amar Kuchinad, Global CEO, Copper.co

Traditional financial markets are increasingly experimenting with digital assets. The tokenization of asset baskets, such as those backed by government bonds, is gaining traction, thanks to products like BlackRock’s BUIDL. Blockchain solutions may soon become integral to financial systems, offering faster settlement, reduced risk, and lower operational costs. Public blockchains, though constrained by scalability, might evolve into periodic netting layers to complement real-time operations on private systems.

3. Ben Caselin, CMO, VALR

2025 will bring geopolitical and market turbulence. Bitcoin’s potential adoption as a strategic reserve asset under Trump’s administration may spur similar moves by other nations. However, speculative token issuance could trigger a market crash. Regional consolidation of licensed exchanges in emerging markets will likely accelerate, while Bitcoin continues to thrive amidst growing volatility.

4. Morgan Krupetsky, Head of Institutions and Capital Markets, Ava Labs

Tokenized assets will expand beyond stablecoins to equities and fixed-income securities, offering greater transparency and efficiency. If legislative barriers like SAB 121 are removed, banks may further embrace blockchain infrastructure. Traditional companies might also integrate tokenized assets into their platforms, signaling the dawn of an onchain financial ecosystem.

5. Norris Wang, Co-Founder, Balance.fun

The stablecoin market is poised to exceed $250 billion in 2025, driven by regulatory recognition of stablecoins as hybrid instruments. Nuanced policies will allow yield distribution tied to risk alignment. Innovation in DeFi will resurge, with deeper integration into fintech platforms and a talent influx to the U.S., solidifying New York as a global crypto hub.

6. Chris Yin, CEO, Plume

AI and real-world assets will dominate the crypto landscape. AI-driven innovations, like Truth Terminal, will create new use cases, while real-world assets, such as stablecoins, continue to grow. Institutions are expected to leverage these practical utilities for broader adoption.

7. Mohammad Raafi, CEO and Co-Founder, Fasset

Emerging markets like Indonesia and Pakistan will lead crypto adoption, particularly in solving structural inefficiencies. Real estate tokenization is enabling global property investment for under $100, breaking barriers for users in these regions. Over 60% of new crypto wallets created in 2024 were in emerging markets, a trend likely to accelerate in 2025.

BitGalactic’s Perspective

The crypto industry is entering a transformative phase in 2025, blending innovation with challenges. BitGalactic believes regulatory clarity will be the keystone for sustainable growth, while speculative bubbles could be the industry’s Achilles’ heel. The surge in stablecoin adoption and the convergence of traditional finance with blockchain technology signal a maturing market. However, the global crypto community must focus on long-term value creation, avoiding short-term excesses that could lead to market destabilization.