In a thread on X, Alex Svanevik, CEO of leading on-chain analytics platform Nansen, announced nine bold predictions for the crypto industry in 2025. Svanevik predicted that next year will signal the “mother of all bull markets,” driven by technological advancements, regulatory changes, and widespread adoption across a variety of sectors.
1. Crypto Memecoins Will Set New On-Chain Records
Svanevik predicts that memecoins—cryptocurrencies inspired by internet memes—will continue to attract retail investors to the crypto space. He predicts these tokens will significantly boost on-chain metrics, leading to unprecedented records in decentralized exchange (DEX) volume across multiple blockchain networks.
“Memecoin continues to bring retail to crypto—and break on-chain metrics. We will see new records in DEX volume for many chains,” Svanevik stated. “Better infrastructure, easier user experience, lower transaction fees—all of these make the on-chain journey better for newcomers.”
2. A DeFi Renaissance
Svanevik predicts a resurgence in decentralized finance (DeFi), fueled by clearer regulations and the enabling of revenue models in DeFi protocols. With the upcoming departure of U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chairman Gary Gensler on January 20, Svanevik predicts that regulatory hurdles will be reduced and institutional capital will flow more freely into DeFi platforms.
“DeFi resurgence. Gary is gone. Revenue conversion = on,” he noted. “We have really useful DeFi protocols now that can attract tons of capital. Maybe worthless governance tokens will accumulate value.”
3. Spot Solana ETF Launches
Svanevik predicted the launch of the Solana (SOL) exchange-traded fund (ETF), claiming that it will outperform the launch metrics of the Ethereum ETF. “SOL ETF. And it outperformed the ETH ETF at launch.”
Discussions between SEC staff and issuers for a Solana spot ETF are “advancing,” with S-1 registration statements currently under review, NewsBTC reported. Exchanges could soon file Form 19b-4 applications, starting the formal regulatory approval process. Asset managers such as VanEck, 21Shares, Canary, and Bitwise are actively vying to launch the first SOL ETF in the United States, with a target launch date of 2025.
4. The Revival of Permissioned Blockchain
Svanevik predicts the return of permissioned blockchains, expecting them to gain significant traction this time. “Permissioned chains are back and this time they will gain much more traction. Follow Haven1 here. Tokenization will be a big theme for permissioned chains.”
5. The Bitcoin ecosystem is thriving
Svanevik expects the Bitcoin ecosystem to grow both in traditional finance (TradFi) and through on-chain developments. “The Bitcoin ecosystem continues to grow strongly—both in TradFi and on-chain (through projects like Bitlayer).”
6. DeSci Will Be a Strong New Story
The Decentralized Science Initiative (DeSci) is expected to fund groundbreaking scientific efforts, particularly in longevity research and other frontier areas. “DeSci funds (crazy) science. A lot of crypto leaders are interested in longevity specifically and science in general. This means more access to capital for cutting-edge science—and potentially more headlines,” Svanevik writes.
7. Crypto drives the development of AI
Svanevik envisions cryptocurrencies playing a dual role in fueling artificial intelligence (AI) projects and providing solutions to mitigate the associated risks. “Cryptocurrency fuels AI, but it also protects us from AI. Weird experiments with agents continue. Cryptocurrency flows into AI projects.”
He also highlighted the emergence of human cryptographic proof projects to combat bots and fake content: “More human cryptographic proof projects are coming to market to combat bots and fake content.”
8. Enactment of FIT21 Law
Svanevik predicts significant legislative developments with the enactment of FIT21, which could usher in a new era of innovation and growth in the United States. “FIT21 becomes law. The American Renaissance begins.”
9. Exponential Growth for RWA
Svanevik predicts significant growth in the market capitalization of tokenized real-world assets, estimating at least a threefold increase. “We will see the market capitalization of RWAs triple—at the low end. Maybe even more. People will finally realize the full potential of crypto: Every asset will be tokenized.”
At press time, Bitcoin was trading at $94,239.
