We survived one other unhinged yr in crypto. Barely.
Now, earlier than we collectively log out and contact some grass, this is a wrap-up of 2025 – the most important tales, the core narratives, and the vibe.
The yr of presidential rug pulls
That is the sentence historians are going to underline.
In 2025, politicians found memecoins, and the general public realized why that is a horrible thought.
It began in January, when Donald Trump launched TRUMP. Days later, Melania Trump adopted with MELANIA.
Each adopted the identical arc:
👉 Explosive launches;
👉 Excessive insider focus;
👉 Large price extraction;
👉 Then brutal collapses that wiped retail.
And it wasn’t simply the US.
In Argentina, President Javier Milei publicly supported LIBRAwhich pumped, crashed, and detonated right into a nationwide scandal dubbed Cryptogate – full with lawsuits, investigations, and worldwide embarrassment.
After these cash launched, presidential memecoins turned a style:
👉 Sitting presidents launching tokens;
👉 First households monetizing consideration;
👉 Nationalist branding become on-chain liquidity.
And spoiler alert: most of these initiatives rugged.
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The yr governments stopped preventing Bitcoin
Whereas memecoins had been embarrassing everybody, one thing critical occurred on the similar time.
In March, the US authorities formally created a Strategic Bitcoin Reservetreating BTC as a sovereign asset.
That was a enormous change: Bitcoin went from speculative danger → nationwide balance-sheet consideration.
And others took notes – nations like El Salvador, Bhutan, the UAE, Pakistan, and Singapore all began positioning Bitcoin as a strategic asset.
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The yr Bitcoin broke $100K
Certain, this sounds unusual given the present market scenario – however it was actually an enormous yr for Bitcoin.
In 2025, it set a new all-time excessive above $126K.
…. Then actuality checked in.
A brutal liquidation cascade adopted, and it worn out billions + reminded everybody (once more) why leverage is a loaded weapon. Costs got here down exhausting, volatility spiked, and sentiment flipped.
However Bitcoin did not collapse; it reset.
For a lot of the yr:
👉 BTC stayed structurally sturdy;
👉 Dips had been violent, however patrons confirmed up;
👉 The “Bitcoin as a sovereign-grade asset” narrative held.
Altcoins, then again? Not so fortunate.
Outdoors some short-lived rotations, most alts by no means reclaimed earlier highs, and liquidity stayed concentrated in BTC.
So, it was a Bitcoin-led yr.
The yr stablecoins grew up
👉 Within the US, the GENIUS Act was handedand it gave banks and issuers clear guidelines overlaying reserves, disclosures, and who’s allowed to subject stablecoins.
👉 In Europe, stablecoin guidelines beneath MiCA started taking impact.
👉 In locations like Singapore and Japan, regulators tightened licensing and expanded bank-issued stablecoin pilots.
👉 Throughout rising markets, stablecoins turned what they had been at all times purported to be: a sensible method to entry {dollars}.
The outcome was delicate however huge.
TradFi began collaborating. New regulated stablecoins launched. And stablecoins themselves modified standing from area of interest crypto plumbing to precise monetary infrastructure.
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The yr hacks hit biblical ranges
Crypto safety had its worst yr ever.
$3.4B+ in crypto was stolen in 2025. This consists of the Bybit hackthe place $1.5B was stolen (the biggest crypto theft on report).
The dominant actors had been state-linked hacking teamsworking with endurance, assets, and geopolitical incentives.
All year long, safety incidents expanded past outright thefts to insider compromises, arrests, and cross-border investigations involving a number of regulation enforcement companies without delay.
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The yr establishments mentioned “we’re not leaving”
Regardless of the chaos:
👉 Main corporations saved shopping for Bitcoin;
👉 M&A in crypto hit report highs;
👉 TradFi did not flinch.
Mainly, retail might panic. Establishments accumulate.
So… what was the general vibe?
2025 was political, extractive, unstable, typically embarrassing, however undeniably historic.
And if this yr taught us something, it is this:
2026 is both going to be calmer… or by some means much more unhinged.
Both method –
we’ll be right here 🥹🥂
