Following landmark achievements in 2024, such as the approval of spot crypto ETFs and Donald Trump’s election victory, 2025 is expected to deliver a series of incremental yet significant advancements for the crypto industry.
Zach Pandl, managing director of research at Grayscale, highlighted growing institutional interest and legislative progress as key themes for the year.
Pandl noted a shift in attitudes among pension and endowment funds, which had largely ignored crypto in the past. Many are now actively exploring allocations, with some portfolio managers already committing up to 5% of their investments. He believes formal adoption by these institutions could be just months away, marking a critical step toward mainstream acceptance.
Pandl also predicts increased involvement from sovereign wealth funds outside the U.S., signaling the global expansion of crypto adoption. Additionally, he underscored Ethereum’s transformative potential, describing it as one of the most important open-source projects ever. Emerging areas like decentralized finance, tokenized real-world assets, and AI-based tokens are likely to attract further institutional attention.
On Bitcoin, Pandl expressed optimism about its long-term potential, suggesting it could reach $500,000 by 2030. He attributed this outlook to growing acceptance of Bitcoin as a legitimate asset class, with some experts even speculating on its role as a U.S. reserve asset in the future.
As the incoming administration prepares to take office, many in the industry are optimistic about a new policy environment that could accelerate crypto innovation and adoption.
OKX has taken a significant step in its global expansion strategy by appointing Linda Lacewell as its new Chief Legal Officer (CLO).
Tether has significantly increased its Bitcoin reserves, acquiring 8,888 BTC in the first quarter of 2025.
USDC issuer Circle is preparing for an initial public offering (IPO) with support from major U.S. investment banks JP Morgan Chase and Citi.
Binance Futures has announced the addition of two new USD-margined perpetual contracts, FUNUSDT and MLNUSDT, expanding the selection of trading pairs on its platform.