Global adoption of cryptocurrencies is on the rise also due to the multiple records achieved this year by Bitcoin and its “sisters”. In relation to Chainalysis puts in black and white the scope of this market, which is gaining ground with different growth rates in the USA and Europe, two key regions for cryptocurrencies, thanks to institutional investments and on-chain activity.
“2024 was a crucial year for the cryptocurrency market, characterized by significant regulatory progress and by a crescent institutional interest. The approval of spot ETFs on Bitcoin and Ethereum has paved the way for greater institutional investments, increasing demand and legitimizing cryptocurrencies in the eyes of traditional finance,” says Gracy Chen, cryptocurrency expert and CEO of Bitget, one of the most major cryptocurrency exchanges in the world, which adds “we expect the cryptocurrency market in 2025 to reflect the influence of recent events, continuing its growth and stabilizing further as regulation evolves”.
Growth in Europe
Europe is establishing itself as the second largest cryptocurrency economy globally, representing 21.7% of the volume total transactions. The United Kingdom is al first place by value of cryptocurrencies received, followed by Germany. Italy is positioned at sixth placewith over $50 billion in cryptocurrency received on-chain.
Regulation of the sector
The growth of Institutional demand is driving regulatory openness towards this market and the Trump administration could expand i powers of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) by reducing the SEC’s regulatory burden in the cryptocurrency industry. This would imply potential treatment of some cryptocurrencies as commodities rather than securities, thus simplifying the compliance process.
Also the European MiCAthe document that attempts to regulate the sector, should be read in this direction, as it reflects a tendency of regulators to provide a clearer and more inclusive pictureto foster innovation in cryptocurrencies.
What prospects for 2025
Bitcoin it is expected to remain the dominant cryptocurrency, with potential price targets reaching $130,000 or $150,000 by the end of 2025. However, the broader cryptocurrency market, including altcoins, is also set to grow during specific cycles. Ethereum is expected to reach between $6,000 and $7,000, driven by its role in DeFi, smart contracts, and the growing value of Ethereum-based tokens and applications. Solana (SOL) is expected to be a major player with forecasts between $500 and $750, attributed to its strong performance and growing ecosystem, particularly in the DeFi and NFT spaces.
In general, it is believed that the cryptocurrency market in 2025 will be influenced by one more confluence of factors: Trump’s pro-crypto position and regulatory evolution, institutional adoption, macroeconomic trends.
