Crypto stories to watch in 2025

Now that the new year is officially underway, we need to start looking at what is to come in 2025. The industry is full of potential and innovation at every corner, but we cannot always predict where that energy will go. There are, however, certain themes that look set to impact what happens in the next 12 months (some that we saw in 2024). 

MiCA 

The Markets in Crypto Asset regulatory framework dominated a lot of crypto regulation news in 2024. The same could remain true in 2025. As of 30 December 2024, MiCA is officially in effect, heralding a new era for crypto in the European Union. Although there has been a lot of preparation and months to change things, its impact will continue to unfold throughout the year. 
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Stablecoins 

Stablecoins have been facing regulatory pressures in 2024. MiCA requires stablecoins to be backed by a liquid reserve that has a 1:1 ratio. This has had repercussions for stablecoins such as Tether, whose future was made unclear by MiCA’s rules. The US lacks a clear regulatory framework for stablecoins, but the newly led SEC needs to agree to something, to avoid a similar scenario in 2025 in America. 

Tether and USDC currently dominate. the stablecoin marketBut outside of those two, competition is increasing, and as both the private and public sectors take more interest there will be a much larger market, and options, for stablecoins. 

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Global regulation

It’s not just the European Union that has been flexing its regulatory muscles. As we go into 2025, more and more governments will be bringing in new regulations to manage crypto. In the US a new President means a new outlook on crypto, with barriers to engagement lowered for financial institutions and retail customers. Meanwhile, in Asia, regulatory sandboxes and money authorities are encouraging innovation in different products - particularly around asset tokenization. Hong Kong, Singapore, and the Gulf States are forging ahead with finding other ways for institutions to incorporate crypto, in some cases working together to create cross-border transaction regulations. 

Regulation is not just about state and financial institutional policies. It’s also about cracking down on crime and trying to flush out crypto scams. There are havens around the world where crypto crime rings operate with a lot of freedom, and regional law enforcement is beginning to work alongside the private sector to reduce the impact of these illegal activities. 

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Bitcoin

Everyone is talking about Bitcoin. Talk of price, movement, and what these mean for the wider crypto market has been all over the headlines going into 2025. It is also rapidly becoming more mainstream, with more traditional financial media reporting on Bitcoin headlines. Despite how wide and diverse the crypto ecosystem has become, it’s inescapable that Bitcoin will always be an important part of its narrative.

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Real-world assets

2025 could very well be 'the year' of real-world assets. All kinds of traditional assets are being tokenized to make them tradeable and ‘real’ on the blockchain. This will continue to gain prominence in the new year. Tokenized assets such as real estate, bonds, and commodities allow investors to diversify portfolios and engage with assets tangibly, but digitally. With better technology, RWAs have become more accessible, which will undoubtedly boost their popularity. But what might be the biggest accelerator of RWAs is institutional adoption. Large financial institutions are now exploring tokenization to diversify and modernize their asset management. 

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Meme coins

Meme coins are growing in popularity, not just with retail customers but with regulators. Lots of customers, especially Gen Z, want to break into crypto through meme coins. But this area is also where plenty of scams, frauds, and illegal activities are found. There are two scenarios that could take place in the world of meme coins in 2025. One, meme coins are not included in regulatory frameworks and remain unregulated and potentially unsafe. Two, meme coins are strictly regulated which strangles innovation and the strong user communities that power the most successful coins. 

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