In 2024, many in the cryptocurrency space are getting what they've wanted for years: mainstream to get to know And a A seat at the table. And now it seems likely that 2025 will bring some side effects to this newfound fame.

At the beginning of every new year, Decryption He turns to the Crypto Crystal Ball to guess what narratives are likely to shape the next 12 months, and what those moves could mean for you.

After taking a peek at Donald Trump's cryptocurrency agenda, the major impacts of the upcoming Ethereum upgrade, and how venture capital firms are poised to fall in love with the industry, here's some perspective on how traditional finance is likely to have an unprecedented role in reshaping the world. The crypto landscape in 2025

Sure, 2024 saw spot Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs You get to Wall Street. But if you think this means cryptocurrencies have seen even an ounce of the power that US finance giants can muster, you're sorely mistaken, says Ryan Miller, a veteran lawyer with prior experience at the CFTC, FTX, and some... Senior officials in New York. Corporate law firms.

“The digital asset economy has not yet had to compete with Wall Street,” Miller said. Decryption.

He explained that the mainstays of TradFi have yet to unleash their full marketing, lobbying and acquisition capabilities in the still-green cryptocurrency industry.

Due to many factors, and many regulatory factors, the year 2025 is likely to attract the full attention of the Eye of Sauron to cryptocurrencies. And with it is likely to come a lot of turmoil.

First and foremost, Miller expects that many TradFi companies will start gobbling up smaller cryptocurrency companies at a rapid pace.

“Many players who sat out will want to catch up quickly,” he said. “They will buy crypto companies that are well-managed and responsible.”

Miller added that what constitutes a successful crypto company may change quickly due to TradFi standards. Companies that make a lot of money but don't have very clean internal structures may start to look less attractive, while less popular platforms may soon be snapped up by larger financial services companies and enterprise groups.

For some time now, cryptocurrencies have been drifting in two directions. The privacy- and decentralization-minded projects and founders that once defined the spirit of cryptocurrencies are increasingly at odds with blockchain companies seeking integration with larger institutions and household brands.

Miller believes that TradFi's full entry into the cryptocurrency ecosystem in 2025 could finally lead to a clear rupture between those camps.

“You might see two types of cryptocurrency communities (emerging),” he said. “One is pure, the other is a packaged Wall Street product.”