The past year has been particularly encouraging for the world of cryptocurrencies. A series of events allowed Bitcoin to start rising again and erase the losses of previous years. As the bull market makes a strong comeback, the next twelve months hold many surprises. We take a look at the most anticipated events of 2025.
Donald Trump's first steps back to the White House — January 2025
Last year, Donald Trump established himself as one of the most fervent defenders of Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies. Throughout his presidential campaign, the Republican did everything he could to appeal to Americans who hold crypto assets. Above all, he committed to implementing a more accommodating regulatory framework for the crypto industry, which was regularly mistreated by the previous administration.
In this context, Donald Trump's inauguration, scheduled for January 20, is eagerly awaited by cryptocurrency investors. It is mainly the first measures that Trump will take as part of his new presidency that are awaited, and will be analyzed at length. A plethora of investors hope that the billionaire will not delay in keeping his campaign promises regarding cryptocurrencies, in order to support the progression of the Bitcoin price, which passed $100,000 last month. For many, the Trump 2.0 presidency could propel the king Bitcoin to more than $150,000, or even around $200,000.
Change of direction at the SEC — January 2025
In the wake of Donald Trump's election, the SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) is changing direction. The current chairman of the regulatory agency, the controversial Gary Gensler, has indeed promised to resign from his post. Gensler is well aware that his approach is not compatible with the policy promised by Donald Trump, particularly regarding cryptocurrencies.
The head of the SEC has indeed engaged in a vast crusade against the crypto giants. He has specifically put spokes in the wheels of Coinbase, Kraken and Binance. For Gensler, cryptos are a threat to the national and global economy that must be strictly regulated.
To replace him, Donald Trump chose a Republican lawyer named Paul Atkins, much more open to the subject of digital assets. This is why the change in management at the SEC is massively awaited by investors. Under Trump, the SEC should allow more flexibility to the players in the ecosystem.
FTX finally reimburses its victims – starting in 2025
FTX begins 2025 by reimbursing its many victims. More than two years after the platform's flash crash, all those who lost funds will receive their assets. As of January 3, the exchange began reimbursing some of its creditors, starting with the smallest fish. In fact, investors who are claiming less than $50,000 will be served first.
The operation should take around two months. The reimbursement plan provides for paying more than a billion dollars to 98% of the victims. They should receive nearly 120% of the amount of their losses. Note that FTX reimburses the funds based on their value in November 2022. The company does not take into account the increase in the price of cryptocurrencies over the past three years. At that time, Bitcoin was still worth less than $20,000…
Ethereum’s Pectra Update – Q1 2025
After The Merge, Shanghai and Dencun, Ethereum will be getting a new update this year. Called Pectra, the update will help improve the speed of the network and reduce transaction fees, which can be settled with tokens other than ETH, such as USDC or DAI. It will also improve the functioning of smart contracts.
Expected in the first quarter of 2025, it could boost the price of Ether, which remained surprisingly flat when Bitcoin rose above $100,000. According to analysis by Dr. Sean Dawson, the head of research at decentralized finance protocol Derive, the price of Ether could reach $12,000 by the end of the year, thanks in part to the Pectra upgrade. Note that there is always the possibility that the Pectra rollout could be delayed.
AI at Tether — Q1 2025
Tether, the American company that issues the largest stablecoin on the market, namely USDT, plans to launch an artificial intelligence-powered platform in the first quarter of 2025. This mysterious new platform is part of the firm's efforts to diversify beyond stablecoin issuance. For now, information on the project is very limited.
Solana's second smartphone — mid-2025
Solana, one of the blockchains that aims to offer an alternative to Ethereum, has a host of new features in the pipeline for 2025. Around the middle of the year, the startup will launch a second smartphone dedicated to cryptocurrency investors, the Solana Seeker. The phone follows the Saga, unveiled in 2022.
In parallel, Solana is working on a plethora of other connected objects, including a bracelet linked to the blockchain to receive rewards based on its efforts. Finally, Solana has also announced the arrival of a new blockchain, Solayer InfiniSVM. These projects are expected in the coming months.
XRP Follows Bitcoin on Wall Street
Last year saw the arrival of the first Bitcoin-based index funds on Wall Street. A few months later, it was Ether’s turn. The market expects other cryptocurrencies to follow in the footsteps of the two market behemoths. According to Monica Long, president of Ripple, XRP will be the third cryptocurrency to be offered through index funds. The news should help accelerate the comeback of XRP, freed from the assaults of the SEC since Trump’s victory.
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