2024 was generally a good year for the cryptocurrency industry. From the approval of spot Bitcoin ETFS at the beginning of the year to the remarkable Bitcoin price surges towards the end, there was a lot of change in the industry. In fact, Statista suggests that within the second half of 2024 alone, more than 40 million new users joined the crypto industry.
In 2025, the hype has not ceased. For instance, a report by Security.org noted that about 14% of non-crypto owners are planning to acquire it by the end of 2025, with 67% of owners planning to buy even more. This is why cryptocurrency platforms are working hard to ensure they don’t miss out on such statistics. And to learn more about crypto trends in 2025, keep reading.
Increased adoption
When the first crypto was launched, it faced serious criticism that imagining it could receive a massive welcome would seem quite illogical. But years later, things seem to have changed because more people now own these tokens. Looking at statistics, a 2024 survey by Exploding Topics reported over one billion crypto owners. Plus, there are over 50,000 confirmed daily transactions of Bitcoin alone, highlighting how popular these tokens have become.
The same is also true in business, especially now that people are changing their opinion of crypto as a mere investment alternative to using it for payments. Surprisingly, studies by Cointelegraph Research show that more than 30,000 businesses across the globe allow Bitcoin payments. Even customers now expect more brands to integrate crypto payments.
According to checkout.com, about 39% believe businesses should integrate them. As if that’s not enough, eMarketer expects about 20% of crypto owners to start using crypto payments by 2026, a significant increase from 14.2% in 2024. This could be the reason Grand View Research, which has already valued the crypto payments market at $545.4 million, expects it to grow by a CAGR of 16.6%.
Governments have not been left behind
Agreeably, the rise of central bank digital currencies is one of the major crypto trends to watch in 2025. In fact, Juniper Research expects the CBDC and stablecoins market to expand by a CAGR of 612% by 2031. In another place, the Atlantic Council reported that 134 countries and currency unions, accounting for 98% of the global GDP, are exploring these currencies.
Compared to the figure in May 2020 (about 30), this is a significant increase. As a matter of fact, a considerable number of countries (about 66) are in the advanced phase of exploration. Of course, as governments strive to become world economic powerhouses, they must address critical concerns like financial inclusion. And that’s where these tokens come in.
Remember, crypto is decentralized, which is a serious concern for many governments. However, with CBDCs, governments can still cater to the need for financial inclusion while maintaining control over their money. The digital yuan (e-CNY), for example, is already used in dozens of Chinese cities like Beijing. The European Central Bank (ECB), on the other hand, is expected to give finer details on the digital euro launch later this year (2025).
Reasons for the crypto technology’s increasing appeal
A growing emphasis on security
With Cobalt expecting worldwide cybercrime costs to hit $10.5 trillion annually by 2025, it makes sense to see people pay more attention to online security. Of course, no one wants to interact in an insecure environment, so you can’t afford to ignore your online safety. Modern customers, being as discerning as they are, will more likely turn away from brands that appear insecure.
It gets even worse when a security incident happens. According to approximations, you may discourage about 21% from ever transacting with you again. At a time when acquiring new customers is becoming more and more challenging, you definitely do not want to be on the receiving end of such statistics.
And since digital currencies are more secure than their traditional counterparts, organizations have increasingly adopted them. They are decentralized to minimize the possibilities of single-point failures. Plus, their immutability helps maintain data integrity and transparency because altering data after storage is not possible.
The need for instant payments
Interestingly, about 86% of businesses and 74% of customers recently confirmed using instant or quick payments. With the prevailing tech improvements, it’s quite evident that everyone wants seamless payment experiences. And this is perfectly demonstrated by how many individuals and companies are turning to quick and instant payment methods.
In another place, it was noted that about 78% of consumers rank these payments as important parts of their experience. Of course, no brand seeking long-term survival would want to ignore such a statistic. And since digital currencies allow for immediacy in transactions, more businesses have been adopting them to take advantage of this statistic.
The good thing is that they are not only fast but also cheap. By eliminating the need for intermediary banks and third parties, they reduce transaction costs, which improves their appeal among businesses seeking to reduce operational costs.
Considering such benefits, it makes sense to expect crypto adoption to increase in 2025 and beyond. Especially now that a good number of small businesses are struggling with security challenges and high transaction costs, most may turn to digital currencies for help.
Plus, governments have been working hard to improve their financial inclusion index, providing good grounds for crypto’s further adoption.
