I just finished reading a16z’s 2025 State of Crypto report and would like to share some key data and thoughts: 1) The annual transaction volume of stablecoins has reached 46 trillion US dollars, which is three times that of Visa. Even if we remove noise data such as robots, it is still 9 trillion US dollars, which is still 5 times that of Paypal. This means that stablecoins are no longer simply competing with a single payment company; they are reshaping the entire dollar system. This explains the sudden shift in the US government's stance on crypto: they recognize that stablecoins are a digital weapon to consolidate the dollar's hegemony. It also explains why Tether is building Plasma and Stable, and why Paypal is supporting KiteAI in developing AI payment infrastructure. These are all driven by competition and confrontation. 2) Cryptocurrency institutional adoption is booming: ETF holdings of BTC and ETH have reached $175 billion, a 169% year-over-year increase. Traditional finance and tech giants like Visa, BlackRock, JPMorgan Chase, and Stripe are all entering the market. This turn of events was somewhat unexpected. With the passage of the GENIUS Act and Circle's billion-dollar IPO, the market landscape has completely reversed from one where crypto was trying to break out of the market to one where traditional finance was actively entering the market to compete for a niche. 3) Usage differentiation between emerging markets and developed markets: Argentina’s wallet usage has increased 16 times in three years, while South Korea and Australia focus on MEME speculation. It's interesting that small and medium-sized developing countries are attracted to Crypto's "anti-inflation + cross-border payment" features just to make a living, while developed countries are attracted to its "high volatility + arbitrage opportunities" speculative properties. Obviously, the former is the real mass adoption; 4) Accelerated integration of AI and Crypto: Protocols such as x402 provide payment standards for AI agents. It is predicted that the AI agent economy will reach 30 trillion US dollars in 2030. This data sounds exaggerated, but the recent performance of nof1 Arena has made everyone realize that the power generated by AI Agents' autonomous custody of assets and autonomous execution of transactions is so great. 5) The on-chain economy is in full bloom: DEX accounts for 20% of spot trading volume, perpetual contracts have increased 8 times annually, the RWA market is US$30 billion, and DePIN is expected to reach US$3.5 trillion in 2028. Cryptocurrency is evolving from pure financial speculation to real-world applications. RWAs are injecting real-world business revenue into the blockchain to generate interest, while DePINs are using tokens to reconstruct physical infrastructure. This trend indicates that internal cycles relying solely on token subsidies are failing. Instead, sustainable business models that rely on protocol monetization, token buybacks (dividends for holders), and robust on-chain financial management are maturing. This will also be a crucial consideration for selecting future value targets. 6) Prediction Market + Privacy Technology: Polymarket/Kalshi transaction volume increased fivefold, approaching historical highs. Privacy coins such as Zcash and Railgun are leading ZK technology back to the mainstream. Many people assumed the prediction market would cool down after the election, but trading volume actually surged fivefold in 2025. This demonstrates that prediction markets aren't just about betting on the election; they're becoming a new way to uncover true market expectations. From sporting events to economic indicators, and especially in the pre-market cryptocurrency market, any event with uncertainty can be priced in. The resurgence of privacy through regulatory compliance may also create new opportunities for ZK technology to return to the mainstream. Note: The above only extracts the important data and content that I am interested in. The original text also covers many topics such as Ethereum's L2 strategy, the rise of the Solana ecosystem, and the transformation of the NFT market. If you are interested, you can read the full report.I just finished reading a16z’s 2025 State of Crypto report and would like to share some key data and thoughts: 1) The annual transaction volume of stablecoins has reached 46 trillion US dollars, which is three times that of Visa. Even if we remove noise data such as robots, it is still 9 trillion US dollars, which is still 5 times that of Paypal. This means that stablecoins are no longer simply competing with a single payment company; they are reshaping the entire dollar system. This explains the sudden shift in the US government's stance on crypto: they recognize that stablecoins are a digital weapon to consolidate the dollar's hegemony. It also explains why Tether is building Plasma and Stable, and why Paypal is supporting KiteAI in developing AI payment infrastructure. These are all driven by competition and confrontation. 2) Cryptocurrency institutional adoption is booming: ETF holdings of BTC and ETH have reached $175 billion, a 169% year-over-year increase. Traditional finance and tech giants like Visa, BlackRock, JPMorgan Chase, and Stripe are all entering the market. This turn of events was somewhat unexpected. With the passage of the GENIUS Act and Circle's billion-dollar IPO, the market landscape has completely reversed from one where crypto was trying to break out of the market to one where traditional finance was actively entering the market to compete for a niche. 3) Usage differentiation between emerging markets and developed markets: Argentina’s wallet usage has increased 16 times in three years, while South Korea and Australia focus on MEME speculation. It's interesting that small and medium-sized developing countries are attracted to Crypto's "anti-inflation + cross-border payment" features just to make a living, while developed countries are attracted to its "high volatility + arbitrage opportunities" speculative properties. Obviously, the former is the real mass adoption; 4) Accelerated integration of AI and Crypto: Protocols such as x402 provide payment standards for AI agents. It is predicted that the AI agent economy will reach 30 trillion US dollars in 2030. This data sounds exaggerated, but the recent performance of nof1 Arena has made everyone realize that the power generated by AI Agents' autonomous custody of assets and autonomous execution of transactions is so great. 5) The on-chain economy is in full bloom: DEX accounts for 20% of spot trading volume, perpetual contracts have increased 8 times annually, the RWA market is US$30 billion, and DePIN is expected to reach US$3.5 trillion in 2028. Cryptocurrency is evolving from pure financial speculation to real-world applications. RWAs are injecting real-world business revenue into the blockchain to generate interest, while DePINs are using tokens to reconstruct physical infrastructure. This trend indicates that internal cycles relying solely on token subsidies are failing. Instead, sustainable business models that rely on protocol monetization, token buybacks (dividends for holders), and robust on-chain financial management are maturing. This will also be a crucial consideration for selecting future value targets. 6) Prediction Market + Privacy Technology: Polymarket/Kalshi transaction volume increased fivefold, approaching historical highs. Privacy coins such as Zcash and Railgun are leading ZK technology back to the mainstream. Many people assumed the prediction market would cool down after the election, but trading volume actually surged fivefold in 2025. This demonstrates that prediction markets aren't just about betting on the election; they're becoming a new way to uncover true market expectations. From sporting events to economic indicators, and especially in the pre-market cryptocurrency market, any event with uncertainty can be priced in. The resurgence of privacy through regulatory compliance may also create new opportunities for ZK technology to return to the mainstream. Note: The above only extracts the important data and content that I am interested in. The original text also covers many topics such as Ethereum's L2 strategy, the rise of the Solana ecosystem, and the transformation of the NFT market. If you are interested, you can read the full report.

Key Crypto Market Data for 2025: From Speculation to Survival, Web3 is Going Mainstream

2025/10/23 16:00

I just finished reading a16z’s 2025 State of Crypto report and would like to share some key data and thoughts:

1) The annual transaction volume of stablecoins has reached 46 trillion US dollars, which is three times that of Visa. Even if we remove noise data such as robots, it is still 9 trillion US dollars, which is still 5 times that of Paypal.

This means that stablecoins are no longer simply competing with a single payment company; they are reshaping the entire dollar system. This explains the sudden shift in the US government's stance on crypto: they recognize that stablecoins are a digital weapon to consolidate the dollar's hegemony. It also explains why Tether is building Plasma and Stable, and why Paypal is supporting KiteAI in developing AI payment infrastructure. These are all driven by competition and confrontation.

2) Cryptocurrency institutional adoption is booming: ETF holdings of BTC and ETH have reached $175 billion, a 169% year-over-year increase. Traditional finance and tech giants like Visa, BlackRock, JPMorgan Chase, and Stripe are all entering the market.

This turn of events was somewhat unexpected. With the passage of the GENIUS Act and Circle's billion-dollar IPO, the market landscape has completely reversed from one where crypto was trying to break out of the market to one where traditional finance was actively entering the market to compete for a niche.

3) Usage differentiation between emerging markets and developed markets: Argentina’s wallet usage has increased 16 times in three years, while South Korea and Australia focus on MEME speculation.

It's interesting that small and medium-sized developing countries are attracted to Crypto's "anti-inflation + cross-border payment" features just to make a living, while developed countries are attracted to its "high volatility + arbitrage opportunities" speculative properties. Obviously, the former is the real mass adoption;

4) Accelerated integration of AI and Crypto: Protocols such as x402 provide payment standards for AI agents. It is predicted that the AI agent economy will reach 30 trillion US dollars in 2030.

This data sounds exaggerated, but the recent performance of nof1 Arena has made everyone realize that the power generated by AI Agents' autonomous custody of assets and autonomous execution of transactions is so great.

5) The on-chain economy is in full bloom: DEX accounts for 20% of spot trading volume, perpetual contracts have increased 8 times annually, the RWA market is US$30 billion, and DePIN is expected to reach US$3.5 trillion in 2028.

Cryptocurrency is evolving from pure financial speculation to real-world applications. RWAs are injecting real-world business revenue into the blockchain to generate interest, while DePINs are using tokens to reconstruct physical infrastructure. This trend indicates that internal cycles relying solely on token subsidies are failing. Instead, sustainable business models that rely on protocol monetization, token buybacks (dividends for holders), and robust on-chain financial management are maturing. This will also be a crucial consideration for selecting future value targets.

6) Prediction Market + Privacy Technology: Polymarket/Kalshi transaction volume increased fivefold, approaching historical highs. Privacy coins such as Zcash and Railgun are leading ZK technology back to the mainstream.

Many people assumed the prediction market would cool down after the election, but trading volume actually surged fivefold in 2025. This demonstrates that prediction markets aren't just about betting on the election; they're becoming a new way to uncover true market expectations. From sporting events to economic indicators, and especially in the pre-market cryptocurrency market, any event with uncertainty can be priced in. The resurgence of privacy through regulatory compliance may also create new opportunities for ZK technology to return to the mainstream.

Note: The above only extracts the important data and content that I am interested in. The original text also covers many topics such as Ethereum's L2 strategy, the rise of the Solana ecosystem, and the transformation of the NFT market. If you are interested, you can read the full report.

Disclaimer: The articles reposted on this site are sourced from public platforms and are provided for informational purposes only. They do not necessarily reflect the views of MEXC. All rights remain with the original authors. If you believe any content infringes on third-party rights, please contact service@support.mexc.com for removal. MEXC makes no guarantees regarding the accuracy, completeness, or timeliness of the content and is not responsible for any actions taken based on the information provided. The content does not constitute financial, legal, or other professional advice, nor should it be considered a recommendation or endorsement by MEXC.

You May Also Like

Coinbase Vs. State Regulators: Crypto Exchange Fights Legal Fragmentation

Coinbase Vs. State Regulators: Crypto Exchange Fights Legal Fragmentation

US-based crypto exchange Coinbase has made a significant appeal to the Department of Justice (DOJ) regarding a wave of lawsuits aimed at its operations. The company is urging federal action to address what it describes as an “increasingly fragmented and hostile” regulatory landscape for the crypto market. Coinbase Urges Federal Action  In a recent letter, Coinbase highlighted the steps taken by the current Administration to create a more equitable framework for digital asset regulation. This includes the introduction of stablecoin legislation and two pending bipartisan market-structure bills aimed at fostering uniformity in the oversight of cryptocurrencies.  Coinbase argues that these initiatives have begun to mitigate the adverse effects of the previous Administration’s enforcement-driven regulatory approach.  However, the company warns that certain states are perpetuating this problematic trend by adopting “expansive and flawed” interpretations of securities laws and implementing new licensing requirements that undermine the federal government’s pro-innovation stance. Related Reading: REX Shares Claims Its DOGE And XRP Spot ETFs Will Be Approved By US SEC Tomorrow They make an example with the Oregon Attorney General, who has filed a lawsuit against Coinbase, claiming that many digital assets traded on its platform qualify as alleged unregistered securities.  The letter affirms that the suit not only targets Coinbase but also encourages other states to address what the Attorney General perceives as a regulatory gap left by federal authorities.  Similarly, the New York Attorney General has initiated legal action to regulate transactions involving digital assets based on decentralized protocols as securities, further complicating the regulatory environment. Coinbase has faced cease-and-desist orders from four states, which demand the company halt its retail staking services. These orders are deemed by Coinbase as “legally unfounded and inconsistent.” Unified Framework For Digital Assets In light of these challenges, the letter to the DOJ calls for urgent federal intervention to establish broad preemption provisions. The crypto exchange argues that preemption has historically been an effective tool for addressing state interference in national markets, referencing past Congressional actions. Coinbase contends that the current patchwork of state regulations not only disrupts market efficiency but also leads to unequal access to cryptocurrency services based on geographic location. Related Reading: Citi’s Ethereum Forecast: No New All-Time High Expected, Year-End Target At $4,300 To remedy these issues, Coinbase advocates for Congress to adopt legislation that would exempt federally regulated digital assets from state blue-sky laws and clarify that state licensing requirements do not apply to crypto intermediaries.  Additionally, the company urges the SEC to expedite rulemaking and provide clearer guidance on why digital asset transactions and services, including staking, should not be classified as securities. Such clarity would help prevent states from imposing conflicting regulations based on their interpretations of securities laws. Featured image from Shutterstock, chart from TradingView.com
Share
NewsBTC2025/09/18 15:00