Experts predict that AI agents, real-world assets (RWAs), stablecoins, and an increasingly friendly approach to crypto regulations will be key drivers of the crypto sector’s trajectory in 2025. Expectations over a global race for strategic Bitcoin reserves were also among their answers.

BeInCrypto spoke with key industry leaders to understand how these narratives will shape the coming year and whether they expect leaders from different regions to adopt a more crypto-friendly approach to legislation.

AI-Powered Agents

A “crypto narrative” represents a shared understanding of the crypto community’s market trends, technological developments, and regulatory changes. These narratives, shaped by collective beliefs and viewpoints, influence investment decisions and guide community sentiment.

Of the nine industry leaders BeInCrypto spoke with, an overwhelming majority agreed that AI agents will be the leading narrative shaping the crypto sector in 2025. AI agents are sophisticated programs capable of analyzing information, learning from experience, and autonomously executing tasks on behalf of users.

Unlike traditional bots that operate within predefined rules, AI agents exhibit greater autonomy. They continuously adapt and improve through interaction with their environment. Their ability to interact with other AI agents and applications also enables them to perform more complex and nuanced interactions.

“The emergence of AI agents from major players like Meta and Google has brought AI into the mainstream, creating a ripple effect that highlights the potential of crypto AI agents. These decentralized agents leverage blockchain, smart contracts, and crypto rails to operate autonomously, offering transparency, security, and programmability. As awareness grows, the parallel development of crypto AI agents is driving interest in projects that bridge these two transformative technologies,” Jonathan Schemoul, CEO of Aleph.im, told BeInCrypto.

Experts highlighted AI agents’ ability to autonomously execute blockchain-related tasks like governance voting and asset management, among other relevant use cases.

“A compelling concept for 2025 could be an AI Agent-Operated Chain, where the chain itself is designed for AI-first applications. This chain would prioritize data processing, interaction between AI agents, and dynamic scalability—essentially creating an infrastructure tailored for intelligent automation and collaboration, unlocking new possibilities in DeFi, supply chain automation, and more,” Alex Schevchenko, CEO of Aurora Labs, told BeInCrypto.

With their ability to automate tasks and adapt to changing environments, AI agents are poised to shape investment decisions in the coming year. 

AI in Gaming

AI agents also have the potential to revolutionize how crypto projects approach gaming, added Simon Davis, founder of GOAT Gaming, ​​an AI-powered network of games on Telegram.

They can make independent decisions, solve problems, and remember past player interactions, creating dynamic and personalized gaming experiences. These agents can also adapt to player actions, generate unique challenges, and contribute to developing storylines.

Earlier this month, GOAT Gaming unveiled AlphaGOATs, a system of AI-driven agents that can play games on behalf of users, enabling continuous participation and earning opportunities within the platform.

“We are at the very tip of the iceberg when it comes to AI/blockchain integration. I predict that 2025 will be gaming’s ChatGPT moment, where we will see a significant leap forward in how players interact with and shape the gaming ecosystem through AI agents,” he said.

Though this technology is still in its early stages, developers have already begun incorporating AI agents into their gaming projects, and its use is expected to grow.

A Bright Future for Real-World Assets

The tokenization of real-world assets (RWAs) has experienced substantial growth, reflecting a growing interest and adoption within cryptocurrency and decentralized finance (DeFi) sectors.

A key factor driving the popularity of RWAs is their ability to offer diversification and stability. Backed by tangible assets, they exhibit lower volatility than purely digital assets, making them attractive to investors seeking long-term, secure investments within the crypto market.

“RWAs are set to be a big deal, especially with tokenizing things like bonds, loans, and other financial instruments. They’ll make it easier to unlock liquidity and bring in more institutional players. We’re already seeing some chain founders using our solution to set up their own private chains for handling and trading these assets. As compliance and interoperability improve, bridging physical and digital assets will only get bigger,” said Schevchenko.

Certain successes this year can also help efforts to solidify RWA adoption in 2025.

“The broader market recovery, coupled with milestones like the approval of Bitcoin spot ETFs and a crypto-friendly Trump administration, have further fueled confidence in the space, validating the asset class and drawing in institutional capital,” added Max Coniglio, Investment Director at Binance Labs.

Major players in traditional finance have already made big moves to secure their footing in the tokenization of RWAs.

The BUIDL fund, a tokenized US treasury issued by asset management giant BlackRock, entered into the RWA space in July to offer investors the opportunity to earn US dollar yields. The move largely validated the potential of blockchain technology to optimize asset management.

RWAs have also seen tangible results as industries begin adopting blockchain technologies, said Edison Chen, CEO of CUDIS, the first smart ring on Solana.

“At CUDIS, we’re seeing how personal health data can become valuable on-chain assets. RWAs like these will unlock new opportunities, driving adoption in industries like healthcare, insurance, and wellness,” Chen told BeInCrypto.

Georgios Vlachos, Co-founder of the Axelar Protocol and Director at Axelar Foundation, agreed with this view, arguing that this trend will fuel the next wave of consumer blockchain adoption.

“We’re on the cusp of a major wave of institutional adoption, which is going to bring massive, blockchain-based access to RWAs,” he said.

These developments suggest a promising future for RWA tokenization, with the potential to transform asset management and unlock new opportunities across various sectors.

The Potential Behind Bitcoin Reserves

As many in the crypto industry remain vocal about the benefits of amassing Bitcoin, different governing nations begin to weigh the potential of strategic reserves in creating a more powerful national treasury.

“We believe we’re witnessing the early stages of a global race for nations to establish Bitcoin as a Strategic Reserve Asset. For example, Bhutan’s Bitcoin holdings recently surpassed $1 billion, positioning the country among the top holders of cryptocurrency reserves. As more nations adopt Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies as reserves, this narrative will further drive interest in the ecosystem,” Binance Labs’ Coniglio told BeInCrypto.

Kadan Stadelmann, Chief Technology Officer at Komodo Platform, agreed with this perspective and stressed that this approach will be widespread.

“The United States will likely undergo a major wave of adoption in the crypto sector, especially as it relates to a Bitcoin Reserve, the ETFs, and stablecoins,” he said.

Last month, Republican Senator Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming announced her plans to introduce a bill in the United States Congress to sell Federal Reserve gold and use the proceeds to buy one million Bitcoin.

Several other countries also began implementing initiatives to spur public debate around strategic Bitcoin reserves.

The Vancouver City Council in Canada, led by Mayor Ken Sim, recently approved a motion to establish a Bitcoin reserve and enable Bitcoin payments for taxes and city fees to enhance financial stability. This initiative aims to diversify the city’s financial reserves and mitigate the risks associated with fiat currency volatility and inflation.

“Bitcoin will see more growth than DeFi, NFTs, or layer-2 scaling combined, as governments adopt Bitcoin reserves and corporations adopt Bitcoin Treasuries,” Stadelmann predicted.

Japan and Russia have also joined the bandwagon of Bitcoin reserve initiatives. This month, politicians from both countries suggested creating a strategic Bitcoin reserve to strengthen domestic financial stability.

A Rise in Global Crypto Adoption

Industry leaders BeInCrypto interviewed emphasized a friendlier outlook toward crypto adoption in 2025. Recent developments in the United States and the European Union specifically facilitate this approach.

“The departure of Gensler and the adoption of MiCA show a shift toward a more favorable crypto environment. This will foster transparency and allow public token sales and ICOs to re-emerge as viable fundraising mechanisms,” said Matt O’Connor, co-founder of Legion, a merit-based ICO platform.

The imminent replacement of Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chair Gary Gensler proved significant news for many crypto enthusiasts. According to Aurora Labs’ Schevchenko, Gensler, who built himself an adversarial reputation for his hardline approach to crypto regulation, hindered progress.

“The USA may significantly shift its regulatory approach to crypto. Unlike Gensler’s regulation strategy through enforcement, I anticipate the development of clear and structured frameworks. If this occurs, the US can reclaim its leadership position in crypto adoption,” he said.

Beyond the United States, Schevchenko also predicts the adoption of crypto-friendly regulations in other countries.

“Countries in the Asia-Pacific region, such as India, Singapore, and Japan, are expected to make regulatory advancements that support innovation,” he told BeInCrypto.

In September, for example, OKX, a leading global crypto exchange, announced that it had obtained a Major Payment Institution (MPI) license from the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS).

That same month, India’s Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU-India) announced it was considering granting approvals to two offshore crypto exchanges by 2025 after reincorporating Binance in August.

Earlier this year, Japan’s Financial Services Agency (FSA) proposed a tax reform that could benefit crypto investors. The agency is also exploring the integration of crypto assets into the existing financial taxation framework.

Stablecoins in Emerging Economies

Emerging markets in certain countries also explore blockchain applications to address critical challenges, such as financial exclusion, supply chain inefficiencies, and economic instability.

“LATAM and Africa will likely continue driving crypto adoption, fueled by strong demand for alternative financial systems,” Schevchenko said.

Countries like Argentina, Venezuela, and Nigeria witnessed a particular surge in stablecoin adoption, given their susceptibility to inflation and restricted access to US dollars. As a result, the increasing use of stablecoins will most likely continue in the coming year, according to Amitej Gajja, founder of Kernel.

“Continued growth is expected as adoption increases, with innovative developments like yield-bearing stablecoins driving increased adoption and providing more dynamic financial instruments in the crypto ecosystem,” Gajja said.

Hyperinflation in Argentina has driven citizens to use USDT and USDC to protect their savings from devaluation. Stablecoin demand surges on local exchanges whenever the peso weakens, or new currency controls are implemented.

In Venezuela, stablecoins have become a primary medium of exchange, effectively replacing the hyper-inflated bolivar for everyday transactions, including purchasing goods and services.

Other Latin America and Sub-Saharan African countries are actively nurturing blockchain innovation through regulatory sandboxes and pilot programs, paving the way for significant growth in blockchain adoption across these regions.

Nations like Brazil are exploring blockchain for transparent governance, digital identity, and stablecoins to combat economic instability. Countries like Nigeria and Kenya also leverage blockchain to address financial exclusion and inefficient supply chains.