Bitcoin has reached record highs. Digital asset treasuries have emerged. Institutional inflows are hitting billions. The year 2025 has proven to be transformative for the cryptocurrency sector, with this momentum likely extending into 2026.
At Cointelegraph’s exclusive LONGITUDE event during Token2049 in Singapore, some of the industry’s leading experts shared their positive outlook for the remainder of the year.
Key figures such as Maelstrom’s chief investment officer Arthur Hayes, Ethereum co-founder Joseph Lubin, noted author Neal Stephenson, and Aave Labs founder Stani Kulechov led discussions that explored the key narratives influencing 2025.
LONGITUDE was co-hosted by Unlimit, a global fintech leader offering payment processing, banking as a service (BaaS), and fiat on-ramps for crypto, DeFi, and GameFi.
Partners of Cointelegraph’s flagship event included Rayls, Flipster, and ICB Labs.
Hayes’ $3.2 million Bitcoin forecast
Hayes’ fireside chat delivered his signature bold insights, revealing his thesis that Bitcoin could reach $3.2 million, driven by forecasts of ongoing monetary expansion by the US Treasury.
“Most of it will flow into Bitcoin, and I believe the new trend is all about fundamental season — cash flow and revenue. The token projects that thrive during this altseason will exhibit a Hyperliquid-style profitability, using those profits to buy back their tokens or engaging in some form of emissions,” Hayes remarked.
The Maelstrom CIO also indicated that digital asset treasuries (DATs) will likely be controlled by a select few early adopters.
“It’s just another financial product to trade. This acts as a back door for investors to gain exposure to crypto that might not otherwise be available to them,” Hayes explained. “Capital will concentrate in larger entities like Strategy or Bitmine, which will take the bulk.”
DAT treasury discussion
LONGITUDE also hosted a debate on DATs featuring three prominent figures focusing on vastly different assets. SharpLink Gaming CEO Joseph Chalom advocated for the advantages of Ethereum, claiming that Ether offers a range of benefits compared to other tokens.
“I genuinely believe Ethereum and its layer 2 solutions will fundamentally disrupt most financial systems, leading to changes that may redefine civilization as we know it,” he stated.
Related: Ethereum DATs are the next Berkshire Hathaway: Consensys founder
Andrew Webley, CEO of The Smarter Web Company and head of the UK’s leading publicly listed Bitcoin treasury company, insisted that there is no substitute for BTC on the balance sheet:
“So there are simply two traits I admire about Bitcoin. Its finite supply and its lack of centralized control.”
David Namdar, who raised $500 million for BNC’s BNB (BNB) treasury, highlighted BNB Chain’s utility and usage, as well as Binance’s status as the largest exchange globally as pivotal for adopting BNB.
“Consider Facebook, Google, and Apple; the largest firms in their sectors are publicly traded in the US. In the crypto landscape, Binance stands to be five to 10 times larger than any other exchange,” Namdar noted.
Metaverse perspectives
Lubin and Stephenson’s discussion took a more philosophical turn, as they explored the author’s insightful predictions regarding a future reliant on cryptography and decentralized systems, as illustrated in his celebrated novels Snow Crash and Cryptonomicon.
Lubin shared how much he drew from Stephenson’s novels in his youth and how deeply he resonated with Stephenson’s vision of a cypherpunk future.
“What struck me as incredibly positive and compelling was his depiction of what cyberspace might look and feel like, and how one could engage with its elements. It was a vivid, clear vision that has guided many builders of my generation,” Lubin reflected.
The Consensys founder also elaborated on his aspirations for SharpLink and Ether-based DATs, revealing that SWIFT is leveraging Consensys-developed Ethereum tools to upgrade its existing infrastructure to blockchain technology.
Trillion-dollar infrastructure
The event concluded with a rapid-fire panel discussing the connections between TradFi and DeFi infrastructure.
Kulechov emphasized Aave’s increasing footprint in the DeFi sector, noting that net deposits have surpassed $70 billion.
“For context, this would place Aave as the 35th largest bank in the US, but we don’t envision ourselves as an end-user product. We view Aave and DeFi as infrastructure that will be integrated into fintechs and traditional financial services to facilitate distribution,” he stated.
Unlimit’s founder Kiril Eves mentioned that his company was compelled to incorporate crypto services due to overwhelming demand from their broad customer base:
“Everything will inevitably transition to crypto. Naturally, stablecoins will entirely replace traditional wire transfers. This future is abundantly clear, which is why we must engage with this industry.”
Privacy also stands as a significant motivation for TradFi’s migration towards blockchain infrastructure. Rayls CEO Marcos Viriato mentioned that their service aims to penetrate a sector ready for decentralized evolution.
“In terms of infrastructure for banks and financial institutions, safety, reliability, and user-facing simplicity are paramount. Our objective has been to offer this to banks, enabling them to serve clients in a manner where the client may not even realize that tokenization is occurring, but still benefits from it,” Viriato stated.
Cointelegraph is set to host its next LONGITUDE event in Abu Dhabi on Dec. 11. For those interested in attending one of the industry’s most exclusive gatherings, more details are available on Luma.
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