What happened?
Crypto adoption jumped worldwide in 2025, led by an 80% surge in South Asia and strong gains in India and Pakistan. The U.S. stayed dominant by volume, crossing $1 trillion in trading after regulatory moves like the GENIUS Act and White House guidance. Stablecoins powered much of the growth, reaching about $4 trillion in transactions while retail activity rose roughly 125% year‑over‑year.
Who does this affect?
Retail users, especially in South Asia, are using crypto more for payments, remittances, and as a store of value. Institutions and family offices in the U.S. and Asia increased allocations after clearer rules and strong returns, while Tether and Circle continue to dominate stablecoin supply. Banks, regulators, exchanges, and custody providers all face higher volumes and evolving compliance demands.
Why does this matter?
Bigger adoption and $1 trillion+ U.S. volume mean deeper liquidity and larger markets for trading, custody, and crypto financial products. The rise of stablecoins creates faster, cheaper rails for payments but also concentrates risk around a few large issuers. Together this attracts more institutional capital and innovation while raising the stakes for regulators and market infrastructure as crypto moves into the mainstream.