Pantera Capital Predicts 2025 as Pivotal Year for Crypto Innovation, Highlighting Key Trends

Pantera Capital, a leading Californian venture capital firm, has outlined its bullish outlook for 2025, anticipating major developments in Bitcoin-native finance, real-world asset tokenization, and NFTs. The company also expects fintech platforms to further embrace crypto, with promising changes ahead in both technology and regulation.
In a recent newsletter, Pantera’s managing partner Paul Veradittakit shared key insights on what the crypto industry can expect in the coming year, pinpointing eight major trends set to shape the landscape. Here’s a breakdown of what to watch for in 2025:
Real-World Assets Surge On-Chain
Real-world assets (RWAs), including private credit, Treasury bills, and commodities, are gaining significant traction in the crypto space. In 2024, RWAs grew over 60%, reaching a value of $13.7 billion, and Veradittakit predicts they will make up 30% of the total value locked on-chain by 2025, up from 15% in January. The tokenization of complex financial products like stocks, ETFs, and bonds could become more feasible, driven by specialized companies offering wallet management, minting mechanisms, and crypto neo-banks.
Bitcoin-Fi Gaining Momentum
Bitcoin, traditionally viewed as a layer-1 core network, could see a shift in 2025 with the rise of Bitcoin-native finance protocols. Platforms like Babylon could drive 1% of all BTC into “Bitcoin-Fi,” allowing users to participate in decentralized financial activities without bridging. This move could be propelled by high returns, rising Bitcoin prices, and increased demand for BTC assets like Ordinals and BRC20 tokens.
Fintech Platforms Emerge as Crypto Gateways
Apps such as PayPal, Venmo, WhatsApp, and TON are becoming essential entry points for crypto users. Veradittakit predicts that these platforms will play a key role in democratizing access to crypto without locking users into specific protocols. With features like stablecoin transactions on WhatsApp and crypto purchases via MetaMask on Venmo, fintech platforms could soon rival smaller crypto exchanges in terms of crypto holdings.
Unichain Set to Lead Layer-2 Transactions
Uniswap’s upcoming network, Unichain, could become the leader in layer-2 transaction volume, building on Uniswap’s existing dominance in the layer-2 ecosystem. If it captures even half of Uniswap’s current volume, Unichain could easily surpass other layer-2 platforms like Arbitrum and Base, both of which are also backed by Pantera Capital.
NFTs Evolve Beyond Collectibles
NFTs are moving beyond their initial role as digital collectibles. According to Veradittakit, NFTs are now being used in gaming, artificial intelligence, identity verification, and consumer applications. With the flexibility to represent assets, memberships, and even ownership rights, NFTs could experience speculative growth in 2025, ushering in new use cases and financial models.
Restaking Protocols to Debut Mainnets
Restaking protocols, such as EigenLayer and Karak, are set to launch their mainnets in 2025. These protocols allow investors to earn rewards from multiple networks, expanding the value of staking across different ecosystems. While attention on restaking has been somewhat muted, Veradittakit believes it remains a multi-billion-dollar market with significant potential.
Web2 Data Moves to Blockchain
A groundbreaking cryptographic approach called zkTLS is emerging, enabling websites to validate and share their data on-chain without revealing sensitive information. This new technology could revolutionize how data is verified and processed, especially for oracles and data services. Veradittakit believes zkTLS could unlock major opportunities, particularly for secure data oracles in non-financial sectors.
Crypto-Friendly Regulatory Shift
A more crypto-friendly regulatory landscape is expected to take shape in 2025, with the resignation of anti-crypto SEC Chair Gary Gensler and the likely appointment of Paul Atkins, a pro-crypto advocate. President-elect Trump’s plans to create a legal framework for crypto, under the leadership of David Sacks as “AI & crypto czar,” could further streamline regulations, reduce lawsuits, and simplify tax considerations for the industry.
A Year of Acceleration for Crypto
Pantera Capital’s predictions point to 2025 as a transformative year for crypto, with these trends accelerating integration into mainstream finance and technology. As Veradittakit states, “The momentum will only grow,” positioning the industry for significant innovation and growth in the coming year.