The 2025 crypto market is bleak, but there are still 12 big winners

2025-12-25 05:09:49

Abstract generation in progress

If 2024 is the year of the cryptocurrency revival, 2025 will be a pivotal year for industry regulation recognition and a shift in public opinion from speculation to foundational financial market infrastructure.

Below are the core winners of 2025:

United States and Trump: Reversing industry focus by defining stablecoins through the GENIUS Act, issuing an executive order on Bitcoin reserves, and pushing for leadership changes at SEC/CFTC to clear regulatory hurdles.
Spot ETFs: IBIT ranks among the Top 10 ETFs in the US in inflows, surpassing traditional giants; SEC approves simplified listing standards, leading to ETFs for Ethereum, Solana, XRP, and others.
Solana: Shedding the “beta” label, on-chain transaction volume ranks among the top for three consecutive months, transforming into a global liquidity layer, shifting from competition with Ethereum to benchmarking Nasdaq.
Ripple: Ending long-standing litigation with the SEC, shifting narrative to “liquidity engine,” and launching spot ETFs; Ripple invests $4 billion to acquire traditional financial infrastructure, transforming into a full-stack institutional payments giant.
RWA: From pilot projects to critical infrastructure, BlackRock’s BUIDL fund becomes an off-chain collateral, with tokenized assets exceeding $20 billion, attracting traditional financial giants to enter the space.
Stablecoins: Market cap surpasses $300 billion, with 200 million holders reaching a new high, becoming the global fintech settlement layer; the GENIUS Act provides legal clarity for banks to enter.
Hong Kong: ETP market ranks third globally, with an average daily trading volume of HKD 37.8 billion; VATP licensing system is well-established, and stablecoin regulations attract over 30 applicants.
Base: Leveraging Coinbase’s large user base, becoming the preferred platform for consumer applications and stablecoin experiments, building a bridge between on-chain worlds and compliant environments.
Zcash and Privacy: Zcash leads privacy coins in shedding the “illegal” stigma, becoming one of the best-performing sectors of the year, accelerating Ethereum’s privacy protection efforts; SEC has discussed compliance frameworks with it.
Perpetual DEXs: On-chain derivatives break trust barriers, successfully capturing trading volume from CEXs; the rise of DEXs like Hyperliquid marks the maturity of the DeFi market structure.
Prediction Markets: Platforms like Kalshi and Polymarket set records; traditional institutions like Gemini and Coinbase, along with crypto companies, enter the space, bridging the gap between speculation and finance.
Early Adopters: Despite industry winter and regulatory pressure, they persevere and are validated, entering ahead of institutions like BlackRock.

BTC1.34%

ETH1.28%

SOL0.92%

XRP0.8%

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