Toronto, May 2025. Over 14,000 participants from 102 countries, 500 speakers, and one goal — to discuss the future of digital assets, Web3, AI, and decentralized solutions. Consensus 2025 once again confirmed: the crypto industry has entered a phase of institutional maturity and global influence.
10 key trends that will define the market in the coming years.
Institutional shift.
Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other crypto-assets are no longer just for enthusiasts. Now on stage are the largest hedge funds, banks, and regulators. A particular emphasis is on countries forming bitcoin reserves, which not long ago seemed like a fantasy.
RWA tokenization as new infrastructure.
Tokenization of real-world assets (RWA) is no longer a concept. Hundreds of companies are already transferring real estate, business shares, royalties, and bonds to blockchain. This is forming a new class of assets with instant settlements and 24/7 liquidity.
Stablecoins as carriers of yield.
Stablecoins are turning into income tools. Projects integrating with Stripe, PayPal, and Meta are paving the way for mass adoption. The new generation of assets will not just be stable — they will start generating income like bonds.
Clarity in regulation.
The general thought: if the USA does not set the standard, the UAE or Singapore will. Participants discussed the need for unified regulation, transparent taxes, and simplification of rules for cross-border transactions. Without clear policy, growth will be limited.
Convergence of DeFi and CeFi.
Decentralization and traditional finance are no longer opposed. Conference participants are confident that the symbiosis of these areas will create new hybrid products with the security of CeFi and the flexibility of DeFi. This is already happening — it's about the present, not the future.
Growth and volatility: traders on the starting line.
Consensus has become a trigger for volatility. Large movements in $BTC and $ETH , the rise of crypto company stocks — this is just the beginning. Institutional interest and expectations of soft monetary policy are laying the groundwork for a bull trend.
Web3 and the metaverse: not just a trend.
Games, digital property, metaverse spaces — all this is becoming not just entertainment but a part of the new economy. At the center are NFTs, which now encompass not only art but also documents, patents, and licenses.
Connection between blockchains and infrastructure development.
The main question is how to connect chains. Participants discussed improvements in cross-chain connectivity, security standards, and scalability. Without this, mass adoption cannot be discussed. It is the infrastructure that will determine the next wave of growth.
Artificial intelligence and blockchain are forming a new technological alliance.
Artificial intelligence is changing everything: from monitoring transactions to generating smart contracts. It is already integrated into products, from DeFi to AML tools. The synthesis of AI with DAO is particularly interesting — this could lead to autonomous structures of the new generation.
NFTs as carriers of digital culture.
NFTs are no longer about punks and monkeys. They are documents, licenses, tracks, scientific publications. Anything that has uniqueness can be tokenized. This makes NFTs the foundation of the digital society of the future.
Conclusion.
Consensus 2025 showed that the industry is no longer marginal. It is a full-fledged global sector capable of competing with the traditional economy.
