Bitcoin dominance steadily declined in April 2024 to below ** percent, amid rumors of central banks halting or potentially lowering interest rates in the future. Within the crypto world, this so-called "dominance" ratio is one of the oldest and most investigated metrics available. It measures the coin's market cap relative to the overall crypto market — effectively showing how strong Bitcoin compared to all the other cryptocurrencies that are not BTC, called "altcoins". Why dominance matters is because market caps of any crypto can change relatively quickly, either due to sudden price changes or a change of recorded trading volume. Essentially, the figure somewhat resembles a trading sentiment, revealing whether Bitcoin investors are responding to certain events or whether Bitcoin is losing out on functions offered by, for example, stablecoins or NFT tokens. "Dominance" criticism: Ethereum and stablecoin The interpretation of the Bitcoin metric is not without its criticism. When first conceived, Bitcoin was the first cryptocurrency to be created and had a substantial market share within all cryptocurrencies? The overall share of stablecoins, such as Tether, as well as Ethereum increasingly start to resemble that of Bitcoin, however. Some analysts argue against this comparison. For one, they point towards the large influence of trading activity between Bitcoin and Ethereum in the dominance metric. Second, they argue that stablecoins can be traded in for Bitcoin and Ethereum, essentially showing how much investors are willing to engage with "regular" cryptocurrency. A rally around Bitcoin in late 2023? By December 2023, the Bitcoin price reached roughly 41,000 U.S. dollars — the first time in 20 months such a value was reached. A weaker U.S. dollar, speculation on decreasing interest rates, and a potential Bitcoin ETF approval are believed to be at the heart of this price increase. Whether this will hold in 2024 is unclear: The monthly interest rate from the U.S. Fed is speculated to decrease in 2024, despite a vow of "higher for longer". In December 2023, the thought of decreasing interest rates and the potential of a Bitcoin ETF fuelled market sentiment towards riskier assets.

In March 2024 Bitcoin BTC reached a new all-time high with prices exceeding 73000 USD marking a milestone for the cryptocurrency market This surge was due to the approval of Bitcoin exchange-traded funds ETFs in the United States allowing investors to access Bitcoin without directly holding it This development increased Bitcoin’s credibility and brought fresh demand from institutional investors echoing previous price surges in 2021 when Tesla announced its 15 billion investment in Bitcoin and Coinbase was listed on the Nasdaq By the end of 2022 Bitcoin prices dropped sharply to 15000 USD following the collapse of cryptocurrency exchange FTX and its bankruptcy which caused a loss of confidence in the market By August 2024 Bitcoin rebounded to approximately 64178 USD but remained volatile due to inflation and interest rate hikes Unlike fiat currency like the US dollar Bitcoin’s supply is finite with 21 million coins as its maximum supply By September 2024 over 92 percent of Bitcoin had been mined Bitcoin’s value is tied to its scarcity and its mining process is regulated through halving events which cut the reward for mining every four years making it harder and more energy-intensive to mine The next halving event in 2024 will reduce the reward to 3125 BTC from its current 625 BTC The final Bitcoin is expected to be mined around 2140 The energy required to mine Bitcoin has led to criticisms about its environmental impact with estimates in 2021 suggesting that one Bitcoin transaction used as much energy as Argentina Bitcoin’s future price is difficult to predict due to the influence of large holders known as whales who own about 92 percent of all Bitcoin These whales can cause dramatic market swings by making large trades and many retail investors still dominate the market While institutional interest has grown it remains a small fraction compared to retail Bitcoin is vulnerable to external factors like regulatory changes and economic crises leading some to believe it is in a speculative bubble However others argue that Bitcoin is still in its early stages of adoption and will grow further as more institutions and governments recognize its potential as a hedge against inflation and a store of value 2024 has also seen the rise of Bitcoin Layer 2 technologies like the Lightning Network which improve scalability by enabling faster and cheaper transactions These innovations are crucial for Bitcoin’s wider adoption especially for day-to-day use and cross-border remittances At the same time central bank digital currencies CBDCs are gaining traction as several governments including China and the European Union have accelerated the development of their own state-controlled digital currencies while Bitcoin remains decentralized offering financial sovereignty for those who prefer independence from government control The rise of CBDCs is expected to increase interest in Bitcoin as a hedge against these centralized currencies Bitcoin’s journey in 2024 highlights its growing institutional acceptance alongside its inherent market volatility While the approval of Bitcoin ETFs has significantly boosted interest the market remains sensitive to events like exchange collapses and regulatory decisions With the limited supply of Bitcoin and improvements in its transaction efficiency it is expected to remain a key player in the financial world for years to come Whether Bitcoin is currently in a speculative bubble or on a sustainable path to greater adoption will ultimately be revealed over time.

The Bitcoin (BTC) price again reached an all-time high in 2025, as values exceeded over 118,003.3 USD on July 29, 2025. Price hikes in early 2025 were connected to the approval of Bitcoin ETFs in the United States, while previous hikes in 2021 were due to events involving Tesla and Coinbase, respectively. Tesla's announcement in March 2021 that it had acquired 1.5 billion U.S. dollars' worth of the digital coin, for example, as well as the IPO of the U.S.'s biggest crypto exchange, fueled mass interest. The market was noticeably different by the end of 2022, however, after another crypto exchange, FTX, filed for bankruptcy.Is the world running out of Bitcoin?Unlike fiat currency like the U.S. dollar - as the Federal Reserve can simply decide to print more banknotes - Bitcoin's supply is finite: BTC has a maximum supply embedded in its design, of which roughly 89 percent had been reached in April 2021. It is believed that Bitcoin will run out by 2040, despite more powerful mining equipment. This is because mining becomes exponentially more difficult and power-hungry every four years, a part of Bitcoin's original design. Because of this, a Bitcoin mining transaction could equal the energy consumption of a small country in 2021.Bitcoin's price outlook: a potential bubble?Cryptocurrencies have few metrics available that allow for forecasting, if only because it is rumored that only a few cryptocurrency holders own a large portion of the available supply. These large holders - referred to as 'whales'-are' said to make up two percent of anonymous ownership accounts, while owning roughly 92 percent of BTC. On top of this, most people who use cryptocurrency-related services worldwide are retail clients rather than institutional investors. This means outlooks on whether Bitcoin prices will fall or grow are difficult to measure, as movements from one large whale are already having a significant impact on this market.

Crypto-Backed Lending Market Outlook

According to our latest research, the global crypto-backed lending market size reached USD 7.8 billion in 2024, driven by the accelerating adoption of digital assets and evolving financial services. The market is experiencing robust expansion, registering a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 22.6% from 2025 to 2033. By the end of 2033, the crypto-backed lending market is forecasted to reach USD 62.6 billion, highlighting the sector’s dynamic potential and transformative impact on global finance. The primary growth factor is the increasing demand for alternative lending solutions that leverage cryptocurrencies as collateral, providing both individuals and enterprises with flexible access to liquidity without liquidating their digital assets.

The growth of the crypto-backed lending market is fundamentally driven by the rapid mainstream adoption of cryptocurrencies and the evolving landscape of decentralized finance (DeFi). As more individuals and institutions invest in digital assets such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, and stablecoins, there is a rising need for financial instruments that allow users to unlock the value of their holdings without selling them. Crypto-backed lending platforms address this demand by enabling borrowers to pledge their crypto assets as collateral in exchange for fiat or stablecoin loans. This model is particularly attractive in volatile markets, as it helps borrowers retain potential upside in their assets while accessing immediate liquidity. The proliferation of both centralized and decentralized lending platforms, coupled with increasing user trust and transparency in blockchain-based transactions, has accelerated the adoption of crypto-backed loans globally.

Another critical factor propelling the crypto-backed lending market is the growing integration of blockchain technology into traditional financial services. Financial institutions and fintech companies are increasingly exploring partnerships with crypto lending platforms to diversify their service offerings and tap into new customer segments. The emergence of robust regulatory frameworks in key regions such as North America and Europe has played a significant role in legitimizing crypto-backed lending, fostering innovation, and attracting institutional investors. Moreover, the flexibility of loan products, ranging from personal and business loans to auto and mortgage loans, has broadened the appeal of crypto-backed lending to a diverse user base. The ability to offer both short-term and long-term financing solutions, often at competitive interest rates compared to traditional banks, further enhances the attractiveness of these platforms.

The rise of decentralized finance (DeFi) platforms has introduced unprecedented levels of automation, transparency, and efficiency to the crypto-backed lending market. DeFi protocols operate without intermediaries, relying on smart contracts to facilitate lending and borrowing activities. This has resulted in reduced operational costs, faster loan disbursements, and greater accessibility for users worldwide, particularly in regions with limited access to traditional banking services. The interoperability of DeFi platforms allows users to move assets seamlessly across different protocols, enhancing liquidity and market depth. However, the rapid innovation in DeFi also brings challenges, including smart contract vulnerabilities and regulatory uncertainties, which market participants must address to ensure sustainable growth.

Regionally, North America continues to dominate the crypto-backed lending market, accounting for the largest share in 2024, followed closely by Europe and the Asia Pacific. The United States remains at the forefront due to its advanced fintech ecosystem, high crypto adoption rates, and supportive regulatory environment. Europe’s market is buoyed by proactive regulatory measures and growing institutional participation, while Asia Pacific is rapidly emerging as a key growth engine, driven by increasing digital asset adoption in countries such as Singapore, Japan, and South Korea. Latin America and the Middle East & Africa are also witnessing accelerated growth, fueled by rising inflation, currency instability, and the need for alternative financial solutions. The regional dynamics underscore the global nature of the crypto-backed lending market and the diverse factors influencing its trajectory.

Loan Type Analysis

The loan type segment in the crypto-backed lending market

The Global Cryptocurrency ATMs market size was USD 0.69 billion in 2022. Cryptocurrency ATMs Industry's Compound Annual Growth Rate will be 57.20% from 2023 to 2030. How are the Key Driver Affecting the Cryptocurrency ATMs Market?

Rising Installation of Crypto ATMs to Propel Market Growth

An increase in installations is fueling the growth of the cryptocurrency automated teller machine (ATM) sector. Vendors are extensively spending in R&D in order to produce cutting-edge goods and solutions. To expand their visibility, they are also introducing reasonably priced Bitcoin ATMs.

For instance, in May 2021, Bitcoin Depot announced the opening of over 350 new Bitcoin ATMs across the US.

(Source:news.bitcoin.com/bitcoin-depot-deploys-over-350-atms-in-the-us-global-number-exceeds-19000/)

Furthermore, the market for cryptocurrency automated teller machines (ATMs) is expanding due to rising ATM installations in the hospitality and tourism sectors and changing financial regulations. Therefore, the growth of the cryptocurrency ATM market will be fueled by the increasing number of new cryptocurrencies and the installation of ATMs.

The Factors are Restricting Growth of Cryptocurrency ATMs Market

Regulatory Concerns Could Limit Market Expansion in a Few Countries

The market's revenue growth is projected to be somewhat constrained in the coming years due to factors such as uncertain regulatory status, a lack of clearly defined protocols, and the high cost of crypto ATMs. Some countries have worked to completely cut off their connections to the banking and financial systems needed for the use and trading of digital currency, while others have outlawed it completely. China, Russia, Colombia, Algeria, and Egypt are among the nations that practically restrict the usage of cryptocurrencies.

Impact Of COVID-19 on the Cryptocurrency ATMs Market

Due to rising consumer interest in cryptocurrencies during the COVID-19 epidemic, the sector for crypto ATMs has been significantly impacted. Additionally, cryptocurrency investment in Ethereum, Bitcoin, Dogecoin, and other cryptocurrencies has increased significantly since the outbreak compared to how slowly it had grown. In turn, during the current global health crisis, this has become one of the key growth causes for the market for crypto ATMs. Introduction of Cryptocurrency ATMs

Cash, credit cards, and checks can all be substituted with cryptocurrency as a means of payment. Without involving the bank, a customer transmits money using cryptocurrencies directly. The term "crypto ATM" refers to an ATM from which users can easily transfer cryptocurrency. The growing interest in cryptocurrencies and a rise in the number of cryptocurrency users point to a paradigm shift in investing, primarily driven by the aging baby boomer generation and driving the growth of the crypto ATM market. The market's expansion is hampered by the limited use of cryptocurrencies as legal money and the lack of ATMs and kiosks in certain places. Instead, many companies are investing money in cryptocurrencies for a higher return on investment. This significant development could present a growth opportunity for the market.

The major market companies are working to install more crypto ATMs and develop their network of these machines.

For instance, in May 2022, Kwik Trip, doing business as Kwik Star in Illinois and Iowa, stated that it would add Bitcoin ATMs at more than 800 locations around the Midwest and Iowa. The Coinsource Bitcoin ATM network, situated in the United States, is what made this ATM installation possible.

(Source:www.cspdailynews.com/technologyservices/kwik-trip-installs-more-800-bitcoin-atms)

Cryptocurrency Transaction Market Outlook

The global cryptocurrency transaction market size in 2023 is valued at approximately USD 1.5 trillion and is forecasted to reach a staggering USD 5.8 trillion by 2032, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 16.2%. This remarkable growth can be attributed to the increasing acceptance of cryptocurrencies as a legitimate financial asset, the rise of decentralized finance (DeFi) platforms, and continuous technological advancements in blockchain technology.

One of the primary growth factors driving the cryptocurrency transaction market is the increasing adoption of digital currencies by institutional investors and major corporations. As more financial institutions incorporate cryptocurrencies into their portfolios and business strategies, the legitimacy and usability of these digital assets are significantly enhanced. Moreover, the integration of blockchain technology into various sectors, such as finance, healthcare, and supply chain management, has further expanded the applications and utility of cryptocurrencies.

Another crucial factor contributing to the market's growth is the regulatory development in favor of cryptocurrencies. Increasingly, governments and regulatory bodies worldwide are creating frameworks to govern the use of digital currencies. These regulatory measures ensure greater transparency, security, and consumer protection, which, in turn, build investor confidence and encourage more widespread adoption. Countries such as the United States, Canada, Japan, and several European nations have been at the forefront of establishing clear regulations for cryptocurrencies.

The growing consumer interest in decentralized finance (DeFi) platforms is another significant driver of market expansion. DeFi platforms leverage blockchain technology to create decentralized financial systems that offer services such as lending, borrowing, and trading without intermediaries. This shift towards DeFi not only fuels the demand for cryptocurrencies but also underscores the potential of blockchain technology to disrupt traditional financial systems. The proliferation of DeFi projects and their increasing market capitalization highlight the transformative impact of cryptocurrencies on the global financial landscape.

Regionally, the Asia Pacific region is witnessing rapid growth in cryptocurrency transactions, driven by high adoption rates in countries like China, Japan, and South Korea. North America and Europe also hold significant market shares due to strong technological infrastructure and favorable regulatory environments. Meanwhile, emerging markets in Latin America and the Middle East & Africa are gradually catching up, propelled by increasing internet penetration and digital literacy. These regional dynamics play a crucial role in shaping the overall growth trajectory of the cryptocurrency transaction market.

Digital Currency, often referred to as cryptocurrency, has revolutionized the way we perceive and conduct financial transactions. Unlike traditional currencies issued by central banks, digital currencies operate on decentralized networks using blockchain technology. This decentralization provides enhanced security, transparency, and efficiency in transactions, making digital currencies an attractive option for both consumers and businesses. As digital currencies continue to gain traction, they are reshaping the financial landscape by offering innovative solutions for payments, remittances, and investment opportunities. The rise of digital currencies is also prompting governments and financial institutions to explore the development of their own central bank digital currencies (CBDCs), further highlighting the transformative impact of this technology on the global economy.

Type Analysis

The cryptocurrency transaction market is segmented by type, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Ripple, Litecoin, and others. Bitcoin, being the pioneer and most recognized cryptocurrency, holds the largest market share. Its wide acceptance as a store of value and medium of exchange has established it as the gold standard in the cryptocurrency world. Bitcoin's robust security features, extensive user base, and strong network effects make it a preferred choice for both individual and institutional investors. Furthermore, ongoing developments in Bitcoin's scalability, such as the Lightning Network, aim to enhance transaction speed and efficiency.

Ethereum, the

Consumers from countries in Africa, Asia, and South America were most likely to be an owner of cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin, in 2025. This conclusion can be reached after combining ** different surveys from the Statista's Consumer Insights over the course of that year. Nearly one out of three respondents to Statista's survey in Nigeria, for instance, mentioned they either owned or use a digital coin, rather than *** out of 100 respondents in the United States. This is a significant change from a list that looks at the Bitcoin (BTC) trading volume in ** countries: There, the United States and Russia were said to have traded the highest amounts of this particular virtual coin. Nevertheless, African and Latin American countries are noticeable entries in that list too. Daily use, or an investment tool? The survey asked whether consumers either owned or used cryptocurrencies but does not specify their exact use or purpose. Some countries, however, are more likely to use digital currencies on a day-to-day basis. Nigeria increasingly uses mobile money operations to either pay in stores or to send money to family and friends. Polish consumers could buy several types of products with a cryptocurrency in 2019. Opposed to this is the country of Vietnam: Here, the use of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies as a payment method is forbidden. Owning some form of cryptocurrency in Vietnam as an investment is allowed, however. Which countries are more likely to invest in cryptocurrencies? Professional investors looking for a cryptocurrency-themed ETF were more often found in Europe than in the United or China, according to a survey in early 2020. Most of the largest crypto hedge fund managers with a location in Europe in 2020, were either from the United Kingdom or Switzerland - the country with the highest cryptocurrency adoption rate in Europe according to Statista's Global Consumer Survey. Whether this had changed by 2025 was not yet clear.

The global user base of cryptocurrencies increased by nearly *** percent between 2018 and 2020, only to accelerate further in 2022. This is according to calculations from various sources, based on information from trading platforms and on-chain wallets. Increasing demographics might initially be attributed to a rise in the number of accounts and improvements in identification. In 2021, however, crypto adoption continued as companies like Tesla and Mastercard announced their interest in cryptocurrency. Consumers in Africa, Asia, and South America were most likely to be an owner of cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin, in 2022. How many of these users have Bitcoin? User figures for individual cryptocurrencies are unavailable. Bitcoin, for instance, was created not to be tracked by banks and governments. What comes closest is the trading volume of Bitcoin against domestic fiat currencies. The source assumed, however, that UK residents were the most likely to make Bitcoin transactions with British pounds. This assumption might not be accurate for popular fiat currencies worldwide. Moreover, coins such as Tether or Binance Coin - referred to as "stablecoins" - are often used to buy and sell Bitcoin. Those coins were not included in that particular statistic. Wallet usage declined Total crypto wallet downloads were significantly lower in 2022 than in 2021. The number of downloads of Coinbase, Blockchain.com, and MetaMask, among others, declined as the market hit a "crypto winter" over the year. The crypto market also suffered bad press when FTX - one of the largest crypto exchanges based on market share - collapsed in November 2022. Binance, on the other hand, regained some of the market share it had lost between September and October 2022, growing by *** percentage points in November. As of 2025, the highest forecast for the global user base of cryptocurrencies is projected to reach *** million.

Bitcoin's blockchain size was close to reaching 5450 gigabytes in 2024, as the database saw exponential growth by nearly one gigabyte every few days. The Bitcoin blockchain contains a continuously growing and tamper-evident list of all Bitcoin transactions and records since its initial release in January 2009. Bitcoin has a set limit of 21 million coins, the last of which will be mined around 2140, according to a forecast made in 2017. Bitcoin mining: A somewhat uncharted world Despite interest in the topic, there are few accurate figures on how big Bitcoin mining is on a country-by-country basis. Bitcoin's design philosophy is at the heart of this. Created out of protest against governments and central banks, Bitcoin's blockchain effectively hides both the country of origin and the destination country within a (mining) transaction. Research involving IP addresses placed the United States as the world's most Bitcoin mining country in 2022 - but the source admits IP addresses can easily be manipulated using VPN. Note that mining figures are different from figures on Bitcoin trading: Africa and Latin America were more interested in buying and selling BTC than some of the world's developed economies. Bitcoin developments Bitcoin's trade volume slowed in the second quarter of 2023, after hitting a noticeable growth at the beginning of the year. The coin outperformed most of the market. Some attribute this to the announcement in June 203 that BlackRock filed for a Bitcoin ETF. This iShares Bitcoin Trust was to use Coinbase Custody as its custodian. Regulators in the United States had not yet approved any applications for spot ETFs on Bitcoin.

The arrest of FTX founder and former CEO Sam Bankman-Fried in the Bahamas in December 2022 - over charges of conspiracy and defrauding investors - made headlines worldwide. Less than a year before that, and before the crypto market suffered a two trillion-dollar crash, Bankman-Fried was the second richest crypto billionaire on the planet, with a fortune of 24 billion U.S. dollars.

Binance: clinging to top, bouncing between legal issues and coin drops
Binance founder and CEO Changpeng Zhao was the richest crypto boss before and after the market crash - and was also the one who suffered the highest losses. The world's leading crypto exchange by trading volume, Binance is reportedly being investigated by the U.S. Department of Justice over alleged money laundering violations. In December 2022, Binance temporarily halted withdrawals of Stablecoin USDC - a digital stablecoin pegged to the U.S. dollar. This came after the crypto exchange witnessed a flurry of withdrawals amounting to a total of 1.9 billion dollars in 24 hours, and as it tried to reassure investors about the security of their holdings.

The crypto crash: a domino effect fueled by global uncertainty
Digital currencies lost two trillion dollars in value following their peak of three billion in November 2021, due to a combination of growing interest rates and inflation which drove investors to pull back from deemed risky assets. Bitcoin saw its value fall by more than half since its late 2021 peak, which in turn caused the whole crypto market to collapse. The subsequent downfall of FTX also contributed to wreaking havoc on the market.

Bitcoin's circulating supply has grown steadily since its inception in 2009, reaching over **** million coins by late July 2025. This gradual increase reflects the cryptocurrency's design, which put a limit of ** million on the total number of bitcoins that can ever exist. This impacts the Bitcoin price somewhat, as its scarcity can lead to volatility on the market. Maximum supply and scarcity Bitcoin is unusual from other cryptocurrencies in that its maximum supply is getting closer. By July 2025, more than ** percent of all possible Bitcoin had been created. That said, Bitcoin's circulating supply is expected to reach its maximum around the year 2140. Meanwhile, mining becomes exponentially more difficult and energy-intensive.

Institutional investors

In 2025, countries like the United States openly started discussion the possibility of buying bitcoins to hold in reserve. By the time of writing, it was unclear whether this would happen. Nevertheless, institutional investors displayed more interest in the cryptocurrency than before. Certain companies owned several thousands of Bitcoin tokens in 2025, for example. This and the limited number of Bitcoin may further fuel price volatility.

The price of the native coin from BNB Chain (formerly BSC) grew by 50 percent in late 2021 but was much lower in 2022. On July 29, 2025, for example, a single BNB coin was worth more than 822.28 U.S. dollars - a value that is very different from the all-time high of 822.28 U.S. dollars in November 2021. Regardless, Binance Coin ranked in the top 10 most expensive cryptocurrencies in 2022. Noticeable is that the price increase of BNB in November 2021 coincides with a similar price change for Ethereum (ETH), a cryptocurrency where BNB initially originated in 2017 before coming to its own years later.BNB's history: From a reward token in 2017 to an ecosystem after 2019As the name suggests, Binance Coin, or BNB, originally started as an extension of the Binance.com trading platform, the most used cryptocurrency exchange in the world. It initially functioned on the Ethereum blockchain network as an ERC-20 token, offering incentives to owners like reduced trading fees, affiliate rewards, or a lottery ticket system ('Launchpad') that let users invest in new, Binance-selected crypto projects. In 2019, however, BNB moved away from the Ethereum network and migrated to Binance's self-developed blockchain: Binance Smart Chain, or BSC (called BNB Chain since February 2022). Here, BNB started to support a chain that initially did not focus on hosting decentralized apps but focused on high transaction speed and being able to handle large amounts of traffic.DeFi and GameFi: the main segments for BNBBSC, however, made significant strides in 2021, partly due to traffic overload and high gas prices on Ethereum, as well as the growing interest in both Decentralized Finance (DeFI) and NFTs. Much like Cardano, Solana, and Terra, Binance Smart Chain consequently became a valid alternative to Ethereum. The total value locked (TVL) of BNBs blockchain within DeFi, for example, ranked only behind that of Terra and Ethereum in early 2022. Another area where Binance's blockchain and token play a significant role is that of GameFi, or 'play-to-earn' blockchain games that are powered by cryptocurrencies. Some of the more well-known and most popular NFT games, like Alien Worlds and Axie Infinity, run on the blockchain behind BNB.