Cryptocurrency went through market turbulence last year, driving changes that have transformed the way crypto is perceived globally. As per authorized sources, global crypto activity accelerated substantially between the fourth quarter of 2023 and the first quarter of 2024. The market witnessed key milestones like ETF approvals, global adoption shifts, and institutional inflows. With a strong foundation set in 2024, the crypto market pipeline promised a promising 2025, a better one than the 2024 crypto market.
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Key Achievements of Cryptocurrency in 2024
The approval of Bitcoin spot ETFs by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in 2024 was a turning point for the crypto market. This led to the highest institutional adoption of any asset seen so far. The Institutional inflows saw an impressive $120 billion inflow into BTC ETFs, with BlackRock leading with over $54 billion in AUM, reflecting the growing trust of institutions in digital assets. Apart from ETFs, companies like Tesla, Hut 8, and Microstrategy have invested substantial amounts in Bitcoin, with the accelerating value of Bitcoin as a globalized digital asset.
2024 also changed crypto’s global perception, boosting investors’ confidence after its key regulatory positions were achieved in Trump’s pro-crypto appointments. Bitcoin crossed $108,000, influencing institutions, countries, and retail investors to see crypto through a new lens. Leading countries like China, Brazil, and Morocco made major policy shifts, from making crypto legal to creating strategic transformations. Such developments in the industry have laid the foundation for mainstream adoption.
As per the Global Crypto Regulatory Report by PwC, the Financial Stability Board (FSB) published its global regulatory framework for crypto-asset activities and crypto-asset roadmap in July 2023. Since then, it has been regulating crypto-asset activities and markets to keep them coordinated, complementary, and mutually supportive. The International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) highlighted some recommendations to regulate the digital assets and crypto markets. The 18 recommendations encompass six areas, consistent with IOSCO standards: market
manipulation, conflicts of interest arising from the vertical integration of activities and functions, insider trading and fraud, custody, and client asset protection, risks and regulatory cooperation, suitability and distribution, operational and technological risk, and retail access.
Crypto Trends to Follow in 2025 and Beyond
The cryptocurrency market presently has a market capitalization of $3.4 trillion and experienced a surge of $3.8 trillion in December 2024. This soaring was extensively influenced by the US trade tariffs in the first quarter of 2025, leading to a short-term reduction and high volatility in Bitcoin. However, cryptocurrency stood steady in its rise once again. This article shares the key trends that are influencing the sentiments of investors and driving the bull market in 2025. It also discusses the environmental and regulatory concerns that could affect the market in the coming years.
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Artificial Intelligence and Crypto Intersection
In the last few months, artificial intelligence (AI) has been making its way into the cryptocurrency world. AI tokens as cryptocurrencies are now being used in AI ventures. For instance, AI tokens could be involved in blockchain protocols and the decentralized web and machine learning platforms. At present, there are more than 200 AI tokens in the crypto space, and users can use the AI tokens to pay for services or access data on the platform and also to pay user rewards. The market value of AI tokens surpassed $36 billion from $2.7 billion in 2023. With an increase in their value of $425, AI tokens remain the most valuable in the AI crypto market.
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Emergence of the Bull Market After ETF Approval
Bitcoin value increased by 150% in 2024, and this growth in the bull market is expected to grow exponentially in 2025. A change in its price was also noticed, which resulted in $70,000 in late May 2025. A survey has revealed that the price of Bitcoin could hit $77,0000 by the end of 2024 and 123,0000 by the end of 2025. Although Bitcoin suffered a pullback in 2025, due to the imposed tariffs by the US government and macroeconomic uncertainties.
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Changing Cryptocurrency Regulation and Exchanges
As we have studied earlier, the SEC is the most actively regulating body in the crypto market. With governments globally getting standardized with crypto regulation, policies are varied by country, and the US has prioritized the hands-off approach since Donald Trump sat in the presidential position. Gary Gensler, the former head of the SEC, stated that regulation in the US crypto market is “rife with fraud and manipulation.”
He ensured the secure use of Bitcoins as a stock, finalizing compulsory registration of crypto firms with the SEC. Since then, it has sued firms like Binance and Coinbase for not registering with it as a broker. However, after Trump’s administration became more permissive, the SEC announced a “Crypto 2.0” task force to clarify the clear and fair rules for the crypto space.
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Mergers, Funding, and Acquisitions in the Crypto Market
Although 2022 remained a year of crypto bankruptcies, in 2023, the confidence of investors returned. Since then, there has been a consistent trend of renewed investment. Venture capital investment in crypto startups skyrocketed to $4.9 billion during the first quarter of 2025. Binance’s investment reached $2 billion, and it received 76.7 million investors each month. Total venture funding is projected to surpass $18 billion in the crypto market in 2025. Funding is predicted to be focused on real-world applications of blockchain and its infrastructure by the investors, including a rise in IPOs, mergers, and acquisitions for 2025.
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Blockchain Technology: Turning Real-World Assets into Digital
Another trend observed in asset tokenization in 2025 is the leveraging of blockchain technology in crypto. It is clear that when a real-world asset is tokenized, there is a digital representation of it on the blockchain. From real estate to intellectual property, tokens can represent all kinds of assets. With tokenization, the automation of specific actions concerning the asset offers traceability, increases liquidity, and more. Institutions like BlackRock are taking an interest in tokenization, which launched its first tokenized asset fund, BUIDL, in 2024. The fund brought in $240 million in the first week of its launch.
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Crypto’s Accelerating Climatic Impact
The Crypto industry has the potential to change the sector’s energy consumption and climate change implications. The mining step of cryptocurrency mining requires miners to solve complex mathematical problems through high computing power, and this requires a substantial amount of energy and water. As per the Cambridge Bitcoin Electricity Consumption Index, cryptocurrency production uses about 1174 TWh of electricity per year. United Nations scientists revealed that 67% of the energy consumed in crypto mining comes from fossil fuels. According to them, the carbon emissions from crypto mining could push the world away from its climate goals signed in the Paris Agreement.
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Exploration of Central Bank Digital Currency by Global Officials
All banking systems throughout the world are in the process of developing their digital currency, namely Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC). The Brookings Institution says that this would create a virtual currency that is managed and centralized by central banks instead of decentralized blockchains. These types of currencies are likely to benefit crypto without risk. Currently, digital currencies are being developed in 132 countries, amounting to 98% of the world’s GDP. China is piloting the largest CBDC trial in the world alongside Nigeria, Jamaica, and the Bahamas (CBDCs are fully operational in these three countries).
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Bitcoin: A Hedge in Times of Trouble
People look for alternatives in times of inflation, and Bitcoin is widely seen as a hedge, a digital version of gold. The global inflation of 2025 compelled many people to hold onto digital assets. Countries that have unstable currencies consider Bitcoin as a way of preserving value. Its decentralized nature makes it a stable asset in comparison to traditional currency systems. As demand for this digital asset increases, its value accelerates, too.
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Bitcoin or a Barometer
Bitcoin is still regarded as the most valuable and recognized cryptocurrency in the world. Rises and declines in its price often influence the entire digital asset market. With the surge in Bitcoin’s price, other cryptocurrencies like Ethereum and Solana started gaining market positions. By working as a barometer, it not only influences the market but also the sentiments of the public concerning the crypto market as a whole.
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Institutionalization of the Bitcoin Market
Earlier, Bitcoin was seen as a risky asset only for tech-savvy investors. However, with time, this scenario has changed. Now, traditional financial institutions are shaping Bitcoin’s long-term value. For example, companies like Fidelity and BlackRock have launched crypto-powered products, shaping the future of finance. The current Bitcoin price today is $106983.0o5 in the USA, with a 24-hour trading volume of $46559062176.60, as per CoinMarketCap. This indicates the future potential of the digital asset beyond 2025.
