Crypto Turning 18: Adulthood, Regulation, and New Experiments

with @DarenMatsuoka @eddylazzarin @rhhackett

Each year, the State of Crypto report analyzes the data — cutting through the noise — to track crypto’s evolution across markets, technology, policy, culture, and more. Now in its fourth edition, the 2025 State of Crypto report reveals how this once-fringe technology has hit recent all-time highs and gone mainstream — from stablecoins and tokenized assets to rapid adoption by major financial institutions.

In this episode, we dig into the findings and themes from this year’s report with lead author Daren Matsuoka, a16z crypto’s head of data and fund strategy; and Eddy Lazzarin, a16z crypto’s chief technology officer. We talk about what’s changed since last year, why stablecoins are “suddenly” taking over, and how institutions — from fintechs to legacy banks — are embracing crypto technologies.

We also look ahead at trends like: 

• AI and crypto (and where the jobs are moving);
• why stablecoins have gone mainstream
• institutional adoption — from Stripe and Visa to BlackRock and Robinhood
• privacy on public blockchains
• tokenization of real world assets
• bitcoin’s resurgence and the rise of "digital gold"
• where developer energy is going
• what’s really happening with memecoins, perps, and prediction markets
• the changing regulatory environment in the U.S.
• and what the next phase of crypto’s “adulthood” might look like — what happens next year when crypto turns 18

Timestamps

00:00 Introduction

02:39 Overview of the 2025 State of Crypto Report

05:04 The Evolution and Mainstreaming of Crypto

08:27 Crypto’s Market Cycles and All-Time Highs

12:08 The Price-Innovation Cycle (and Its Dislocation)

15:40 Memecoins, Stablecoins, and Entrepreneurs

17:25 AI and Attracting Tech Talent

21:18 Crypto Adoption and User Metrics

26:58 Airdrops, Farming, and Changing Metas

31:24 Bitcoin’s Resurgence and Store of Value

42:09 Institutional Adoption and Market Dynamics

50:08 The Evolution of Stablecoins

54:20 The Growing Role of Stablecoins in the Global Economy

01:00:54 The Importance of Privacy in Crypto

01:08:46 Tokenization of ‘Real World Assets’

01:20:46 Perpetual Futures and Prediction Markets

01:29:41 Outlook for the Future

📊 Download the full State of Crypto 2025 report and explore our interactive dashboard to track the industry’s key metrics.

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