Cryptocurrency Industry on the Verge of Mainstream Adoption
Insiders in the cryptocurrency space suggest that the industry might be just one cycle away from achieving widespread mainstream acceptance, potentially positioning digital assets as a globally recognized payment alternative.
A survey conducted in December estimated that by the end of 2025, there could be around 659 million holders of cryptocurrency.
Thomas Prévot, who leads Crypto.com in France, mentioned that if current trends continue, the number of cryptocurrency users could exceed 5 billion within the next ten years.
“In 10 years, we will reach 5 billion users,” Prévot stated during a discussion at the WAIB Summit 2025 in Monaco. He elaborated, saying:
“We’re off one growth cycle from a complete mainstream adoption. I’m not talking about 1 billion users. I’m talking about 5 billion users.”
Prévot emphasized that reaching the 5 billion mark would mean cryptocurrency is “ubiquitously” used, similar to how credit cards are used for payments today.
As the next bull market cycle approaches, he expressed his anticipation for a significant wave of mainstream adoption, especially after the market recovers from an expected downtrend.
Achieving the initial billion users is a pivotal step toward mainstream acceptance. This could solidify cryptocurrency’s role as a viable alternative payment system, aligning with Nakamoto’s original vision of Bitcoin (BTC) as a decentralized peer-to-peer transactional tool.
The increase in mainstream cryptocurrency usage might push Bitcoin’s value to an “ultimate price” of $700,000 per token, based on projected portfolio allocations as suggested by Bitcoin analyst Willie Woo in August 2024.
Paths to One Billion Crypto Users
According to Roy Van Krimpen, the Western Europe general manager at OKX Exchange, retail “price speculation” might be the initial catalyst to attract the first billion crypto users, reminiscent of the market dynamics seen in 2021.
“You can win a billion in one of two ways,” he noted, indicating that price speculation is a major driver of retail interest, and explained:
“In 2021, we’ve seen the market more than quadrupled in a few months because of retail speculation and investors.”
He added that the second pathway involves genuine use of blockchain technology, suggesting that shifts in consumer behavior would take longer compared to speculative trends.
Other experts in the field, including Chintan Turakhia from Coinbase, are optimistic about the accessibility of blockchain applications as key to engaging new crypto users.
