Bitcoin Smashes Barriers in 2025: The Year Crypto Went Mainstream

Wall Street’s old guard clutches pearls as digital assets eat their lunch. The once-niche technology now commands trillion-dollar market caps—while traditional finance scrambles to keep up.

Institutional FOMO fuels the fire

Hedge funds and pension managers dive headfirst into BTC allocations, desperate not to miss what they mocked five years ago. The irony? Thick as a Bitcoin block.

Regulators finally play ball—sort of

After a decade of foot-dragging, global watchdogs roll out halfway coherent frameworks. They’re still three steps behind innovators, but at least the bribes—sorry, ’lobbying efforts’—are paying off.

The closer: Love it or hate it, crypto’s not going anywhere. The genie’s out of the bottle, the horse has bolted, and your boomer portfolio manager still doesn’t get it.

U.S. Vice President JD Vance headlined Bitcoin 2025. Speaking during the event, he emphasized the strategic importance of Bitcoin in the nation’s rivalry with China.

Highlighting China’s longstanding ban on crypto trading and mining since 2021, Vance argued that the U.S. should adopt a contrasting approach by embracing bitcoin (BTC). “The People’s Republic of China doesn’t like Bitcoin. Well, we should be asking ourselves, why is that? Why is our biggest adversary such an opponent of Bitcoin, and if the communist Republic of China is leaning away from Bitcoin, then maybe the United States ought to be leaning into bitcoin,” Vance said during the speech.

He also praised President Donald Trump’s pro-crypto stance, particularly his digital asset-focused executive order. This executive order, titled “Strengthening American Leadership in Digital Financial Technology,” aims to bolster the nation’s leadership in blockchain and cryptocurrency technologies while emphasizing innovation and regulatory clarity. One of its suggestions is the creation of a working group to consider a national digital asset stockpile, “potentially derived from cryptocurrencies lawfully seized by the Federal Government through its law enforcement effort.”

Pakistan’s Strategic Shift Towards Bitcoin

Also, during the event, Pakistan announced the establishment of a strategic Bitcoin reserve, marking a significant shift from its previous stance on cryptocurrencies. In a 2023 Senate Standing Committee on Finance and Revenue session, the Minister of State Finance and Revenue, Aisha Ghaus Pasha, had said Pakistan will ban cryptocurrency services operating in the country and never legalize crypto trading in the country. But times have changed apparently.

Bilal Bin Saqib, head of Pakistan’s crypto council, announced at the conference. “Today is a very historic day. Today, I announce the Pakistani government is setting up its own government-led Bitcoin Strategic Reserve, and we want to thank the United States of America again because we were inspired by them,” he explained.

Furthermore, Pakistan plans to allocate 2,000 megawatts of electricity for Bitcoin mining and AI data centers, signaling a robust commitment to integrating digital assets into its economic framework. This announcement from Pakistan is part of a broader trend of nation-states adopting pro-crypto policies and crypto stockpiles, perhaps encouraged by the regulatory shift in the US under President Donald Trump

Square Integrates Bitcoin Payments

The Keynote for Bitcoin 2025 was delivered by Miles Suter, Bitcoin Product Lead at Block Inc. His speech focused on initiatives to make BTC a practical everyday currency.

Block Inc., the parent company of Square, announced the rollout of Bitcoin payments on its Square platform. This integration allows merchants to accept Bitcoin payments directly through their Square hardware, leveraging the Lightning Network for faster and lower-cost transactions. The feature is set to begin rolling out later this year, with a full launch expected by 2026, subject to regulatory approvals.

NYC Mayor proposes ‘Bitbond’

Eric Adams, the mayor of New York City, proposed the creation of BitBond during a speech at Bitcoin 2025. It WOULD be a municipal bond backed by BTC. It will offer tax advantages to holders and be used to raise capital. Adams did not provide any other details about the bond.

Adams also criticized the Bitlicense during the speech. The BitLicense is a license needed by cryptocurrency firms to operate in the city and is noted to be difficult to obtain. It is issued by the New York Department of Financial Services.

“[I’m] the Bitcoin mayor, and I want you back in the City of New York, where you won’t be attacked and criminalized. Let’s get rid of the [Bit]License and allow us to have the free FLOW of Bitcoin in our city,” he stated.

Market Dynamics and Future Outlook

Despite these positive developments, Bitcoin’s price experienced a slight decline, trading at approximately $107,939, down from its all-time high of $111,891.30 reached on May 22, 2025 . Analysts attribute this dip to profit-taking after the recent surge in value.