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In a string On Here are the top 15 predictions that stakeholders and enthusiasts should watch closely.
Top 15 Cryptocurrency Predictions for 2025
#1 US regulation of the cryptocurrency market in 2025
Malviya expects the US cryptocurrency regulatory framework to be formalized by 2025. “The US cryptocurrency regulatory framework has been under discussion for the past two years, but we have not seen any approval for it yet,” he says. He also expects that during a Trump presidency, favorable regulations will emerge, significantly boosting sectors with strong cash flows, especially decentralized finance (DeFi).
#2 Memecoin’s sustainable popularity
Despite expected regulatory interventions, Malviya expects the memecoin sector to regain momentum. “Most memes will eventually have short-term success when the regulatory framework is introduced in the USA, as I don’t see them becoming part of it,” he explains.
He further predicts that regulation “will eventually create a clear divide between overly speculative trading assets and assets that have some sort of fundamental value attached to them.” However, as in 2024, Malviya predicts that “the majority of people will choose memes over fundamentally backed assets, even if the government does not recognize them,” adding that “meme mania will only grow — and more participants will join in the hope of changing their lives.” The casino will grow over time.
#3 Expansion into hyper-speculative markets
Beyond meme coins, Malvia expects significant growth in highly speculative markets, especially in the markets for predicting events, news, affairs and almost everything. “Memes are not the most hyper-speculative market that cryptocurrencies have to offer – prediction markets are the biggest fish in the pond. (…) Prediction market platforms like Polymarket will eventually attract the largest audience in 2025.”
#4 DeFi Renaissance
The resurgence of DeFi is a cornerstone of Malviya’s forecast. He expects DeFi to become a focal point for mature investors, with the total value locked (TVL) in DeFi protocols exceeding $250 billion by the end of 2025. “Financial markets like AAVE will eventually attract more TVL,” Malviya emphasized, highlighting the role. of Donald Trump’s cryptocurrency project World Liberty Financial as a major growth catalyst. “Some DeFi coins will also reach a market cap of $30 billion to $50 billion next year,” the expert added.
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#5 Cross-chain commodity trading
The integration of commodities into blockchain ecosystems is expected to gain momentum. “Various types of commodities will eventually be offered for trading on multiple DEX exchanges in 2025,” Malviya predicts. Ostium Labs has been identified by the expert as an early mover in this space, with expectations that several projects will launch cross-chain commodity trading platforms.
#6 Stablecoins market cap reaches $500 billion
The stablecoin sector is poised for significant growth, with Malvia predicting a market cap of $500 billion. “Many of the new stablecoins will eventually take some market share from the big players like USDC and USDT,” he noted. The Reserve Protocol, which facilitates asset-backed stablecoins, has been highlighted as a promising initiative within this expansion.
#7 The Rise of Artificial Intelligence NFTs
Artificial intelligence-driven NFTs are expected to receive significant attention. “Some AI artists, like Refik Anadol, could steal maximum attention from NFT collectors in the coming year,” Malvija predicts. AI Art NFT collections are expected to reach floor prices of up to 100 Ethereum (ETH).
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#8 Staking-based airdrop mechanisms
Malviya expects Polygon and EggenLayer to conduct a series of token launches next year. “I expect staking on Polygon and EggenLayer will bring a few airdrops to the ecosystem for holders,” he explained.
#9 The peaks and troughs of artificial intelligence initial offerings (IAOs)
The initial phase of IAO operations is expected to reach its peak, followed by a contraction. “IA offices are currently in the first phase,” Malvia noted, warning that over-saturation will lead to the decline of many AI clients. “Only a few agents with good data training and a clear goal will be able to survive the AI agent winter, which will occur sometime next year,” the expert warns.
#10 Visualize a perpetual bull market
Malviya points out that a bull market will continue to be perceived but will not be as pronounced as it was in the past where all altcoins rose at the same time. “That’s the saddest part of this list of predictions – most people will still be delusional about the bull market, just as they are now. The nature of the market will remain swirling for a few more months,” he stated.
He expects a big correction similar to a bear cycle, but expects an unexpected rebound affected by potential black swan events: “I expect a big correction, which may resemble a bear cycle in 2025, but it will surprise people with an unexpected rebound, in line with some potential black swan events.”
#11 Focus on privacy-based projects
Privacy-focused projects are expected to gain greater importance in the post-Trump era of regulatory clarity. “Confidential transactions and private accounts will become a necessity at some point,” Malviya stressed. Projects like Nillion are expected to attract significant interest within the DeFi and DeAI sectors, meeting the growing demand for privacy solutions.
#12 SUI outperforms Solana in daily transactions
Leveraging SocialFi’s narrative, the SUI blockchain technology is expected to outperform Solana in daily transaction volumes. “SUI is currently cooking up the SocialFi story. Most of the app activity on SUI comes from their SocialFi app, which directly deals with the Creator Economy. I expect that some apps from SUI will eventually break the creator economy code and bring audiences onto the chain, eventually surpassing Solana in Daily transaction metrics.
#13 Intense competition among alternative virtual machines (AltVMs)
The battle between AltVMs is set to heat up, with Malviya identifying competitors such as Monad, MegaETH, Berachain, HyperVM, Sonic, and Sei. He expects one to “capture 75% market share within 12 months after launch,” and attributes the success to community support and developer relations. Malviya expresses particular interest in MegaEth Labs as a potential market leader.
#14 Mainstream adoption of Web3 wallets
Web3 wallets are expected to achieve mainstream status, facilitated by improved user onboarding and intuitive interfaces. “Web3 wallets will become very easy to set up and use in the coming year,” Malviya says. The emergence of super apps, along with Web3 wallets from major exchanges such as OKX and Binance, is expected to drive widespread adoption across mobile platforms.
#15 DEX exchanges account for 30% of trading volume
Finally, Malviya expects decentralized exchanges (DEXs) to significantly increase their share of trading volumes. “DEX/CEX trading volume is at 15% right now. I expect that number to double over the next 12 months.” The shift towards on-chain trading is being attributed to self-custodial features and improved setup techniques such as account stripping, leading to an expected rise in activity User across the chain.
At press time, Bitcoin was trading at $96,139.
Featured image from iStock, chart from TradingView.com