FinTech & Web3 in 2025: Key Trends Shaping the Future

Cryptocurrencies and blockchain technologies serve as the common denominator connecting the Web3 industry and the market for innovative financial solutions. However, many promising FinTech products aren’t directly tied to digital assets or decentralized technologies, just as Web3 solutions aren’t always finance-related.

The CP Media team offers an overview of the latest trends in FinTech and Web3, whose significance is expected to grow in 2025.

Key Trends in Web3 Industry in 2025

Industry experts and analysts are highly optimistic about 2025. Among their main forecasts are the potential successes of Bitcoin and the growth of various Web3 industry sectors.

Bitcoin Price Growth Prospects in 2025

The active growth phase of BTC began on November 19, 2024, following Donald Trump’s victory in the U.S. presidential election, and lasted for about a month. At its peak, Bitcoin exceeded $108,000, followed by a two-week correction of over 10%. But most industry representatives are confident in its further growth in 2025, differing only in their levels of optimism:

1. Matthew Sigel, Head of Digital Assets Research at VanEck, predicts that the bull market will reach a “medium-term peak” in Q1 2025, followed by a 30% drop in BTC prices and a 60% decline in altcoins during summer market consolidation. Nonetheless, he expects BTC to reach new ATHs of $180,000 by the end of 2025.
2. Matrixport analysts forecast Bitcoin will reach $160,000 in 2025, driven by steady demand for spot Bitcoin ETFs, increased global liquidity, and macroeconomic developments.
3. Bitwise crypto exchange experts anticipate BTC will hit $200,000. Key drivers include the same factors as Matrixport’s analysis, plus an additional catalyst — the creation of state-level Bitcoin reserves. They estimate the number of countries holding Bitcoin will double in 2025.

Corporate Use of BTC

Satish Patel, Investment Analyst at CoinShares, highlighted the growing trend of Bitcoin’s recognition not only as a store of value but also as a revenue-generating asset. He identified three main ways Bitcoin can be leveraged as a revenue-generating tool:

1. Increasing Bitcoin allocations in corporate treasuries to boost company stock value.
2. Yield farming, i.e., using Bitcoin for lending.
3. Employing financial derivatives to generate income from Bitcoin reserves.

Patel cited examples of companies like MicroStrategy, Block, and Marathon Digital, which are already using Bitcoin for corporate growth and investment attraction. This trend was discussed in detail in a CP Media op-ed.

Bitcoin Ecosystem Development

The HTX Ventures report emphasizes Bitcoin ecosystem development in 2024, forecasting its continuation. Key areas include:

• expansion of L2 solutions and sidechains;
• creation of virtual machines similar to the EVM;
• launch of EVM-compatible L2 protocols.

Analysts note that 77 infrastructure projects were launched in the Bitcoin ecosystem over the past three years, with the total value locked (TVL) in the top 20 Layer 2 networks surpassing $2.5 billion by late 2024. HTX Ventures predicts that the Bitcoin ecosystem’s TVL could grow to $6–12 billion in the coming years.

Digital Identity, Sustainable Development, and Other Non-Financial Trends in Web3

Identifying a clear leader among non-financial Web3 technologies is challenging, as experts forecast that virtually all areas of decentralized innovation will thrive in 2025 amidst the optimism marking the end of 2024.

An analysis of this year’s trends highlights several strong contenders for leadership in 2025, including:

• digital identity solutions;
• DePIN projects;
• DLT-based governance systems.

AI technologies stand out as a distinct area of growth. Analysts at a16z predict that 2025 will see the rise of AI-powered chatbots acting autonomously as fully-fledged participants in the crypto market and SocialFi projects. Furthermore, decentralized neural networks are increasingly being utilized across various Web3 sectors, from meme coins to cybersecurity.

Key Trends in FinTech Solutions in 2025

One of the pivotal trends in financial technology is the development of instant payment systems. Traditional finance players are actively advancing such projects as alternatives to cryptocurrency. Notable examples include:

• FedNow and RTP (Real-Time Payments) in the U.S.;
• SEPA Instant Credit Transfer and TARGET Instant Payment Settlement (TIPS) in the EU;
• NetsUnion Clearing Corporation (NUCC) in China;
• Unified Payments Interface (UPI) in India.

Other significant trends projected to shape the FinTech landscape in 2025 are:

1. Buy now, pay later (BNPL). Enabling customers to pay for goods or services in installments without requiring upfront full payment.
2. Embedded finance. Seamlessly integrating payments, lending, insurance, and other financial services into non-financial platforms and apps.
3. RegTech solutions. Automating compliance and managing regulatory risks.
4. Open banking. Leveraging APIs to grant FinTech providers access to banking data, fostering the creation of new, personalized financial products and services.
5. Card-as-a-Service (CaaS). Allowing companies to quickly launch their own licensed credit and debit cards.

The concept of Bank-as-a-FinTech (BaaF) is also expected to gain traction. This model represents the evolution of traditional banks adopting FinTech approaches to create innovative products and services to compete with independent financial providers. For instance, Goldman Sachs, a leading investment bank traditionally focused on institutional clients, implements BaaF through its retail lending platform, Marcus.

Top 3 Technologies at Intersection of FinTech and Web3 in 2025

The innovative financial Web3 technologies outlined below have remained relevant over the past year and are poised for even greater prominence in 2025.

Tokenization of Real-World Assets (RWA) and Stablecoins

These two interconnected technologies are key growth drivers for the Web3 industry in 2024. Analysts at Bitwise predict that the stablecoin market cap will double in 2025, while the RWA sector is expected to surpass $50 billion. According to a16z, small and medium-sized businesses will increasingly experiment with stablecoins, leveraging them for payment processing.

Chainalysis reports that stablecoins have outpaced other types of cryptocurrencies in adoption, accounting for up to 75% of on-chain transaction volume in recent months. Stablecoins are highlighted as critical solutions for residents of countries experiencing national currency volatility, aiding in savings preservation and trade.

Chainalysis also points to the trend of mass tokenization, which is transforming traditional methods of asset management and investing in the TradFi space. The report mentions investment firm Franklin Templeton, which actively uses tokenization in the securities market, and Goldman Sachs, which plans to launch a cryptocurrency trading platform focused on tokenization within the next 12–18 months.

The tokenized U.S. Treasury bond market has already reached nearly $4 billion. To gauge the pace of developments in tokenization, one only needs to look at the increasing number of related headlines on CoinsPaid Media.

Crypto Exchange-Traded Funds (ETF)

2024 marked a turning point for cryptocurrency ETFs, following U.S. regulatory approval of spot Bitcoin ETFs and later spot Ethereum ETFs. After the United States, similar products were launched in Hong Kong and Australia. Moreover, previously existing ETFs in Canada and Europe also witnessed capital inflows amidst the general excitement.

Analysts predict that the trend of launching crypto ETFs will intensify in 2025, especially amid potential regulatory changes in the U.S. New crypto ETFs expected to emerge include:

• spot ETFs based on SOL, XRP, TON, and other popular cryptocurrencies;
• ETFs based on crypto derivatives;
• multi-asset ETFs comprising various cryptocurrency baskets;
• specialized ETFs focusing on tokens from specific sectors, such as DeFi-, ESG-, infrastructure-oriented, and others.

These new ETFs aim to meet the diverse needs of both institutional and retail investors, ranging from portfolio diversification to investments in specific cryptocurrency market sectors or digital asset classes.

Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDC)

The CBDC research trend has been gaining momentum since 2022, though concerns about their adoption among the general public have also grown. By 2024, reports emerged that banks were exploring alternatives to CBDCs for cross-border payments, favoring traditional instant payment systems discussed earlier.

However, the link between CBDCs and tokenization is evident when analyzing particular news. Moreover, the application scope of digital currencies remains vast, with numerous global CBDC research initiatives ongoing. According to the BCG CBDC Tracker, pilot projects are active in 38 countries, with an additional 130 nations at various stages of research, development, or proof-of-concept. While data across CBDC trackers varies, all point to a continued trend of central banks investigating digital currencies, which will remain relevant in 2025.