Big US crypto opportunity not a sure thing, survey says

About 70% of those surveyed believe crypto supervisory scrutiny remains just as intense

article-image

ArtiMind/Shutterstock modified by Blockworks

share

This is a segment from the Forward Guidance newsletter. To read full editions, subscribe.


A new survey weighing industry leader sentiment shows an optimistic outlook for crypto — with a dose of skepticism too.

It includes opinions from some 230 executives gathering at the CfC St. Moritz 2025 conference. Among them are the CEOs of Binance and Ripple, chair of the CFTC, and executives at TradFi giants like BlackRock, Fidelity and Franklin Templeton.

The biggest opportunities are going to be in the US, 61% of survey respondents agree — followed by the APAC region, then Middle East and Asia. That comes despite America being back of the pack on the favorable jurisdictions list (as legislation sits today), behind the UAE, Singapore, Switzerland, Hong Kong, the EU and the UK.

Developers moving or staying in the US will be a crucial piece to the country’s chance to leapfrog others, an anonymous respondent noted. The person pointed to a year-old report showing 19.6% of developers in Western Europe and 19.2% in North America (the two top spots). 

The popularity of crypto ETFs in the US also contributes to the bullishness for growth there. To that point, 57% expect such wrappers around the top 20 coins in the not-so-distant future. A refresher on proposed funds in front of the SEC can be found here

Other interesting tidbits:

  • 76% say the global macroeconomic backdrop is either “highly favorable” or “conducive” for the crypto industry’s growth.
  • The most interesting opportunities are in fintech, payments and trading tech (tokenization/stablecoins is the runner-up).
  • About a third of respondents expect TradFi institutions to take over the crypto space, while roughly another third believe there will be a 50/50 retail-TradFi split.

Back to regulations, there’s a big “but” coming — as optimism doesn’t cover all feelings. 

Roughly 70% believe supervisory scrutiny remains just as intense, or that those risks could even increase.

On the task ahead of the new US administration, ex-CFTC Chair J. Christopher Giancarlo is quoted as saying: “It’s one thing to end bad policy, but it’s an entirely different thing to create good policy.”


Get the news in your inbox. Explore Blockworks newsletters:

  • Blockworks Daily: The newsletter that helps thousands of investors understand crypto and the markets, by Byron Gilliam.
  • Empire: Start your day with top crypto insights from David Canellis and Katherine Ross.
  • Forward Guidance: Explore the growing intersection between crypto, macroeconomics, policy and finance with Ben Strack, Casey Wagner and Felix Jauvin.
  • 0xResearch: Get alpha directly in your inbox — market highlights, charts, degen trade ideas, governance updates, and more.
  • Lightspeed: All things Solana, in your inbox, every day from Jack Kubinec and Jeff Albus.
  • The Drop: The newsletter for crypto collectors and traders, covering games, tokens, apps, memes and more.

Tags

Upcoming Events

Javits Center North | 445 11th Ave

Tues - Thurs, March 18 - 20, 2025

Blockworks’ Digital Asset Summit (DAS) will feature conversations between the builders, allocators, and legislators who will shape the trajectory of the digital asset ecosystem in the US and abroad.

Industry City | Brooklyn, NY

TUES - THURS, JUNE 24 - 26, 2025

Permissionless IV serves as the definitive gathering for crypto’s technical founders, developers, and builders to come together and create the future.If you’re ready to shape the future of crypto, Permissionless IV is where it happens.

Old Billingsgate

Mon - Wed, October 13 - 15, 2025

Blockworks’ Digital Asset Summit (DAS) will feature conversations between the builders, allocators, and legislators who will shape the trajectory of the digital asset ecosystem in the US and abroad.

recent research

Research

article-image

Dive into crypto’s “application layer” with Kate Irwin everyday at 12:30 pm EST

article-image

The market’s short-lived rally isn’t something to be too worried about, analysts say

article-image

The moves that embodied Solana’s transition to “the people’s chain”

article-image

The summit’s agenda has not been released, but the crypto stockpile and stablecoin legislation are likely to take center stage

article-image

The reveal was a sign of how quickly a pro-crypto regime can get the market to turn: eToro market analyst

article-image

Ethereum Foundation shakes up leadership as internal rifts settle