Crypto's Best Year Yet? 5 Reasons Everything Could Change in 2025

2025 has already delivered a major win for crypto enthusiasts, with one of the landscape’s most criticized figures stepping down.

In Gary Gensler’s place, Trump has tapped Paul Atkins as the new Chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Atkins is known for his open support of crypto, and his appointment is currently awaiting confirmation.

That's massive news, and it means that everything could be about to change in the crypto landscape.

In fact, here are 5 practical reasons why a pro-crypto SEC could deliver crypto's best year yet.

#1 No More Gensler? No More Breaks.

Regulation is crucial to the growth of any modern industry, and crypto is no exception. But finding the right balance is often a lot easier than it sounds.

Throughout Gary Gensler’s reign as the US’ Chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission, he’s received criticism from crypto proponents across the world who believe that his regulatory policies harm true innovation.

Gensler’s statements on the topic have only added fuel to these critiques. During an interview with the Washington Post in 2021, he referred to cryptocurrencies as “an asset class that’s highly speculative, adding that “there’s not something standing behind it other than what someone will pay you for it.”

The following year, he said that cryptocurrencies should be regulated as securities.

Most importantly, under his rule, the SEC has taken notable action against the crypto industry several times over the last few years.

Atkins, on the other hand, often criticizes US regulators who hinder innovation. 

His friendlier attitude towards newer technologies like AI and blockchain is likely to push the SEC towards adopting a softer approach that prioritizes allowing these technologies to thrive.

#2 New Crypto ETFs?!

With a more crypto-friendly head of the SEC, new crypto ETFs could be around the corner.

That’s because Atkins was an early supporter of Bitcoin exchange traded funds (ETFs). 

Back in July of 2022, Atkins praised their ability to “increase the accessibility to Bitcoin” and “act as a stabilizer for the futures offerings.”

His appointment is likely to spark the issuance of ETFs for other cryptos, such as Litecoin, as well.

This is significant for the broader landscape, as ETFs allow “traditional” investors to bet on crypto as easily as they buy stocks and bonds. In the past, both the approval of Bitcoin ETFs and Ethereum ETFs led to significant price hikes.

#3 The SEC Could Drop Its Crypto Cases

In 2024, the SEC initiated legal actions against six blockchain projects and issued Wells notices for further investigations into seven more.

Since 2020, the SEC has extended notices to major platforms such as Crypto.com, Uniswap, and ConsenSys.

According to reporting by CCN, the SEC has taken enforcement action against these major crypto platforms and projects — as well as many more.

• Kraken.
• PulseChain.
• Celsius.
• Coinbase.
• Binance.
• Crypto.com.
• Robinhood.
• Geosyn Mining.
• Consensys.
• Uniswap.
• Ripple.

But things could be about to change.

There are rumors that the SEC will drop non-fraud crypto cases this year as part of its more favorable approach to crypto.

#4 Clearer Guidelines for Crypto

With Atkins as SEC Chair, the agency is likely to release clearer regulations for the crypto industry. This aligns with the Trump administration’s goal to increase the adoption of blockchain technologies across the US.

In fact, Trump’s recent crypto executive order promised to deliver “regulatory clarity and certainty built on technology-neutral regulations.” 

This sentiment was echoed last week when Trump’s new “Crypto Czar” David Sachs spoke on the importance of delivering regulatory clarity that will allow businesses to grow and innovate.

#5 The World Is Watching

With Bitcoin reaching new all-time highs, 2024 was a great year for cryptocurrency enthusiasts. Could things go even higher in 2025?

The fact is, crypto is much bigger than just the US. But the US undoubtedly plays a key role in its adoption by flooding money into the industry and increasing consumer confidence worldwide. 

With an SEC that is openly positive towards crypto, the US is in a position to bring a new level of legitimacy to the once-niche industry. 

This, in turn, can inspire a previously unheard of level of global confidence that could see not only citizens across the world — but governments as well — rushing to get their slice of the pie.

In other words, this could be the match that sets the global crypto industry ablaze. 

2025 could be our year.