In 2024, Crypto returned to roar. Bitcoin has reached a new summit, exceeding $ 100,000, because the cryptocurrency was thrilled for the first time in negotiated stock market funds offered by major investment companies.
The cryptography industry has proven that it has matured, characterized by innovations that have made its technologies useful for many more people, not just crypto enthusiasts.
This year should continue this trend, because traditional finance applies blockchain – the technology of the big distributed book underlying cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin – to some of the most delicate and long -standing problems of the ‘ Economy, and the United States embraces a much more ambitious program to grow some – but not all – digital assets.
At Mastercard, we have long argued that if blockchain technology must fully achieve its potential, safety, confidence and ease of use must be at the center. With these in place, fintechs and financial institutions would increase their adoption of blockchain technologies and create scalable use cases which could have an impact on millions of people. In fact, many are advancing with token versions both in money and active on blockchain networks. Behind this trend is the desire to improve efficiency and reduce the costs of daily transactions that feed the global economy.
While we look at the rest of 2025, I see many changes arriving in this sector, some due to a change in the regulatory environment, but most motivated by the needs of consumers, companies, banks and the ‘economy.
Here are four areas to watch in the coming year:
01
Stablecoins or token deposits? Both should find their place.
According to a 2023 report by the Federal Reserve, American banks have nearly 18 billions of dollars in business bank deposits of companies and individuals, including verification, savings and time deposits. These deposits feed the main parts of the global economy – financing of banking loans and other financial services, fueling consumer spending and leading trade and trade. However, innovations are necessary to provide this form of money with the latest Fintech advances.
To get there, banks experience what are called tokénized deposits, which require a token on a blockchain which represents a deposit on the own big book of a bank. In doing so, the banks hope to speed up the regulations for transactions and allow programmable payments, in which money can only be distributed after the satisfaction of certain criteria.
The stablecoins, which are supported by the fiduciary currency to a 1 to 1 ratio, have gained ground, motivated not only by commercial activity but also by increasing use cases such as discounts and corporate payments to business. At the time of writing these lines, there are about $ 200 billion in stable stables based on an American dollar in circulation. Stablecoins, while requiring capital locking, move in real time and activate programmable payments. A clearer regulatory framework will make stablecoins safer and attract additional participants and issuers.
I believe that we are going to move to a world where the two token sales bank deposits and the stablecoins coexist, where transactions such as tokenized asset purchases begin with tokenized money in bank accounts and have settled by the biases of stablecoins.
02
Lighter rules give banks and other institutions a green light to adopt digital assets.
The more cryptic-critical position of the United States was turned with the inauguration of President Trump, who judged himself of the first “president of cryptography”. In particular, the second full day of Trump, the Securities and Exchange Commission launched a working group on the crypto to develop its own regulatory framework, led by the SEC commissioner, Hester Peirce, and two days later, the president Published an executive decree on digital assets which has implemented group work of the main regulatory organizations to recommend clearer policies, where new laws are necessary.
Meanwhile, the regulation of the European Union markets in crypto-sets came into force on December 30, making the EU the first major jurisdiction to establish a complete regulatory framework for the crypto. It offers financial institutions much more clarity on how regulators see digital assets and currencies and what a company must, for example, to issue a stablecoin. He has already embarked on more traditional players to act. It is sure to say that there will be more – if not crystal – the clarity of the legislators and regulators in 2025. Perhaps more a plea than a prediction: more clarity on the rules of crypto and how the banks can Participating in the blockchain public system will encourage more experimentation with blockchain, allowing innovation to flourish while keeping bad players at a distance.
03
Central banks will probably look at the issue of digital currencies and products for institutions.
Barely a few years ago, many world central banks envisaged the feasibility of the issue of their own currencies in digital form. Today, more and more central banks have concluded that the private sector alone innovates and that the digital currencies of the central bank aiming at the general public do not need to be a high priority. In fact, another element of Trump’s decree on digital assets prohibits the development and publication of CBDCs, calling them a threat to the stability of the financial system.
In 2025, I expect more central banks will follow this trend, moving away from CBDC focused on consumers, called CBDC “Retail”. But they will continue to continue digital assets for the banking sector and other financial institutions, also known as CBDC “basically”. These CBDCs could fundamentally increase institutional regulation capacities and allow the faster movement of capital through the courts.
04
Interoperability, standards and confidence will gain even more importance.
The cryptography industry is now on a stronger basis. The bad players were pushed out of space (or scrambled spectacularly). Easier access to digital assets has attracted more daily investors, which, in turn, attracted the attention of financial actors traditionally risks such as common funding companies. These changes have also strengthened the confidence, standards and transparent connections that still count to the larger financial system, where the lion of monetary value is always resided.
This is why we have seen so much momentum behind the multi-token network of Mastercard, which makes transactions using more secure, scalable and interoperable digital assets. For example, the MTN project finished its first live test last year, in partnership with Standard Chartered Bank, and has teamed up with Kinexys by JP Morgan.
Blockchain technology that is safe and reliable can release innovation for crypto and traditional financial industries. In 2025, search for blockchain technology to even more deeply integrate banking and financial services, allowing faster transactions, more transparency, new capacities and more innovation.
