# Bitwise and CF Benchmarks Predict Major Crypto Trends for 2025
In 2024, a year marked by Bitcoin (BTC) achieving its all-time high, cryptocurrency asset manager Bitwise and digital asset index provider CF Benchmarks have forecast four key trends set to shape 2025: cryptocurrency ETFs, stablecoins, asset tokenization, and AI-powered crypto agents.
# Cryptocurrency ETFs Set to Become Mainstream in Asset Management
CF Benchmarks predicts a significant increase in allocations to cryptocurrency ETFs by asset managers in 2025. Bitcoin ETFs, which hit a record $35 billion in 2024, are expected to attract even greater inflows in the coming year.
Currently, hedge funds hold 45.3% of Bitcoin ETFs and 23.2% of Ethereum (ETH) ETFs, while investment advisors hold a smaller share at 28% and 33%, respectively. However, the report forecasts that by 2025, investment advisors will account for over 50% of holdings in both assets. This shift signals that the $88 trillion asset management industry is gearing up to embrace digital assets.
Bitwise echoes this sentiment, forecasting that institutional demand will drive higher performance for ETFs over time. The firm expects that inflows into Bitcoin ETFs in 2025 will surpass those of 2024.
# Stablecoin Market Growth to Accelerate, Reaching $400 Billion in AUM
The stablecoin market is set for substantial growth. Bitwise projects that total assets under management (AUM) for stablecoins will reach $400 billion.
The report envisions the United States passing long-awaited stablecoin legislation, creating a more favorable regulatory environment. This development, coupled with the current crypto bull market, is anticipated to naturally increase demand for stablecoins.
CF Benchmarks offers a slightly more conservative estimate, predicting the stablecoin market will grow by 50% to $300 billion in AUM.
# Asset Tokenization: A New Catalyst for Wall Street
Asset tokenization, which involves converting traditional financial assets into blockchain-based tokens, is expected to continue its robust growth in 2025. Last year, Bank of America projected that tokenization could create a market exceeding $16 trillion over the next 15 years.
Bitwise believes Wall Street is just beginning to recognize the potential of asset tokenization, predicting the market for tokenized real-world assets (RWAs) will surpass $50 billion in 2025. Conversely, CF Benchmarks estimates a more modest $30 billion market but suggests that significant growth will likely commence in 2026.
# AI-Powered Crypto Agents to Expand Blockchain Utilization
AI-powered crypto agents, which began gaining traction in 2024, are poised to remain a central trend in 2025. These autonomous systems interact with blockchain technology, particularly popular in generating meme coins.
CF Benchmarks predicts that AI agents will account for over 10% of on-chain activities in 2025. Bitwise highlights the AI-driven meme coin phenomenon as a lasting trend, citing Clanker, an AI agent on the Base blockchain network that has already issued over 11,000 tokens, as a prime example.
These four trends identified by Bitwise and CF Benchmarks indicate the cryptocurrency market’s progression toward a more diverse and mature phase. The expansion of the ETF and stablecoin markets, advancements in asset tokenization, and the increased use of AI technology are set to offer new opportunities for both investors and the industry at large.
