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Grayscale Research Insights: Crypto Sectors In Q1 2025
January 01, 2025
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Summary:

  • Grayscale added new tokens to its top 20 list.
  • It cited potential US election impact, AI, and Solana's growth as catalysts for the change.
  • The tokens include major DeFi players like Ethena and Hyperliquid.

Crypto won’t just be about Bitcoin and Ethereum in 2025.

That’s one of the takeaways from digital asset manager Grayscale’s latest quarterly roundup of high-upside tokens. The list features 20 digital assets that are primed to break out in the first quarter of next year.

Six of those — Ethena, Hyperliquid, Jupiter, Jito, Virtuals, and 👉Grass(I told you all months ago this was going to be major, Got Gra$$?) — are new to the list, and look set to benefit from several factors that are seen to be bullish for the crypto industry, according to the digital currency asset management firm.

Grayscale said it chose the new tokens due to the potential impact Republicans’ success in the US election might have on decentralised finance and staking, as well as the growing use of artificial intelligence “agents” and the Solana blockchain.

👉 AI agents are software endowed with the ability to post on social media platforms and, in some cases, use crypto wallets. (Here comes the AI Into Blockchain)

Grayscale’s list

Grayscale is one of the largest issuers of crypto exchange-traded funds, managing more than $24 billion in Bitcoin and Ether, the two largest cryptocurrencies.

Its list of 20 tokens to watch include Bitcoin and Ether as well as DeFi stalwarts Uniswap, Aave and Lido.

Some of the tokens added to the list could see outsize benefit from the red sweep in the US election that saw Republicans secure control of both chambers of Congress and the presidency, Grayscale wrote.

The party has overwhelmingly taken a pro-crypto stance, which industry watchers expect will lead to more industry-friendly regulations over the next four years.

The entire crypto market has surged over 40% since the election to be worth almost $3.4 trillion as of today.

Solana has been one of the comeback winners from the bull market. Its value collapsed in the aftermath of the FTX scandal. Sam Bankman-Fried’s crypto empire propped up the value of Solana before its collapse.

Solana’s token plunged from its previous all-time high of $259 to less than $10 after FTX imploded in 2022.

But a wave of new DeFi protocols, as well as the boom in memecoins and AI agents, brought it to a new all-time high in November and helped it leapfrog Tron as the blockchain with the second-largest DeFi ecosystem this year.

Its two largest DeFi protocols — Jupiter, an aggregator of decentralised exchanges, and Jito, a liquid staking protocol — are two of the six new additions to Grayscale’s list.

Jupiter is well-positioned to capitalise on Solana’s status as the home of AI agents and memecoin trading, according to Grayscale. Meanwhile, Jito is one of the most profitable protocols in DeFi, collecting more than $500 million in fees in 2024.

AI revolution

The intersection of AI and crypto has created a lot of buzz in 2024, and for good reason.

Investors have injected hundreds of millions into crypto-AI projects, and researchers estimate that the combo will add another $20 trillion to the global economy by 2030.

Grayscale’s list reflects the hype. Two of the new tokens on the list operate at the intersection of AI and crypto: Virtuals, which simplifies the creation of AI agents on the Base blockchain, and Grass, which lets users rent their unused internet bandwidth to AI companies that need it to scrape the web for data to train AI models.

Grayscale also listed a pair of protocols that have surged to the top of DeFi: stablecoin issuer Ethena, and Hyperliquid, a blockchain with a focus on trading.

Hyperliquid’s November airdrop minted dozens of new millionaires, and prompted speculation about a DeFi resurgence.

Ethena, meanwhile, launched early this year and its stablecoin, USDe, has already surpassed Sky’s DAI as the third-largest, according to DefiLlama data.

Grayscale removed six tokens from its top 20 list: TON, Near, Stacks, Sky, UMA Protocol, and Celo.

“Grayscale Research continues to see value in each of these projects,” it said. “However, we believe the revised Top 20 list may offer more compelling risk-adjusted returns for the coming quarter.”

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Musk Turns On Starlink to Save Iranians from Regime’s Internet Crackdown

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This move comes on the heels of Israeli strikes targeting Iran’s nuclear facilities, as the Islamic Republic cuts off online access.

The former Department of Government Efficiency chief activated Starlink satellite internet service for Iranians on Saturday following the Islamic Republic's decision to impose nationwide internet restrictions.

As the Jerusalem Post reports, that the Islamic Republic’s Communications Ministry announced the move, stating, "In view of the special conditions of the country, temporary restrictions have been imposed on the country’s internet."

This action followed a series of Israeli attacks on Iranian targets.

Starlink, a SpaceX-developed satellite constellation, provides high-speed internet to regions with limited connectivity, such as remote areas or conflict zones.

Elizabeth MacDonald, a Fox News contributor, highlighted its impact, noting, "Elon Musk turning on Starlink for Iran in 2022 was a game changer. Starlink connects directly to SpaceX satellites, bypassing Iran’s ground infrastructure. That means even during government-imposed shutdowns or censorship, users can still get online, and reportedly more than 100,000 inside Iran are doing that."

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MacDonald also mentioned ongoing tests of "direct-to-cell" capabilities, which could allow smartphone connections without a dish, potentially expanding access and supporting free expression and protest coordination.

Musk confirmed the activation, noting on Saturday, "The beams are on."

This follows the regime’s internet shutdowns, which were triggered by Israeli military actions.

Adding to the tension, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the Iranian people on Friday, urging resistance against the regime.

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Meanwhile, Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of Iran’s last monarch, called on military and security forces to abandon the regime, accusing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a Persian-language social media post of forcing Iranians into an unwanted war.

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In the wake of hurricanes and earthquakes, Starlink has provided critical internet access to affected communities, enabling emergency communications and coordination.

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The genius entrepreneur, is throwing a lifeline to the oppressed in Iran, and the libs can’t stand it.

Conservative talk show host Mark Levin praised Musk’s action, reposting a message stating that Starlink would "reconnect the Iranian people with the internet and put the final nail in the coffin of the Iranian regime."

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GENIUS Act lets State banks conduct some business nationwide. Regulators object

The Senate passed the GENIUS Act for stablecoins last week, but significant work remains before it becomes law. The House has a different bill, the STABLE Act, with notable differences that must be reconciled. State banking regulators have raised strong objections to a provision in the GENIUS Act that would allow state banks to operate nationwide without authorization from host states or a federal regulator.

The controversial clause permits a state bank with a regulated stablecoin subsidiary to provide money transmitter and custodial services in any other state. While host states can impose consumer protection laws, they cannot require the usual authorization and oversight typically needed for out-of-state banking operations.

The Conference of State Bank Supervisors welcomed some changes in the GENIUS Act but remains adamantly opposed to this particular provision. In a statement, CSBS said:

“Critical changes must be made during House consideration of the legislation to prevent unintended consequences and further mitigate financial stability risks. CSBS remains concerned with the dramatic and unsupported expansion of the authority of uninsured banks to conduct money transmission or custody activities nationwide without the approval or oversight of host state supervisors (Sec. 16(d)).”

The National Conference of State Legislatures expressed similar concerns in early June, stating:

“We urge you to oppose Section 16(d) and support state authority to regulate financial services in a manner that reflects local conditions, priorities and risk tolerances. Preserving the dual banking system and respecting state autonomy is essential to the safety, soundness and diversity of our nation’s financial sector.”

Evolution of nationwide authorization

Section 16 addresses several issues beyond stablecoins, including preventing a recurrence of the SEC’s SAB 121, which forced crypto assets held in custody onto balance sheets. However, the nationwide authorization subsection was added after the legislation cleared the Senate Banking Committee, with two significant modifications since then.

Originally, the provision applied only to special bank charters like Wyoming’s Special Purpose Depository Institutions or Connecticut’s Innovation Banks. Examples include crypto-focused Custodia Bank and crypto exchange Kraken in Wyoming, plus traditional finance player Fnality US in Connecticut. Recently the scope was expanded to cover most state chartered banks with stablecoin subsidiaries, possibly due to concerns about competitive advantages.

Simultaneously, the clause was substantially tightened. The initial version allowed state chartered banks to provide money transmission and custody services nationwide for any type of asset, which would include cryptocurrencies. Now these activities can only be conducted by the stablecoin subsidiary, and while Section 16(d) doesn’t explicitly limit services to stablecoins, the GENIUS Act currently restricts issuers to stablecoin related activities.

However, the House STABLE Act takes a more permissive approach, allowing regulators to decide which non-stablecoin activities are permitted. If the House version prevails in reconciliation, it could result in a significant expansion of allowed nationwide banking activities beyond stablecoins.

Is it that bad?

As originally drafted, the clause seemed overly permissive.

The amended clause makes sense for stablecoin issuers. They want to have a single regulator and be able to provide the stablecoin services throughout the United States. But it also leans into the perception outside of crypto that this is just another form of regulatory arbitrage.

The controversy over Section 16(d) reflects concerns about creating a regulatory gap that allows banks to operate interstate without the oversight typically required from either federal or state authorities. As the two Congressional chambers work toward reconciliation, lawmakers must decide whether stablecoin legislation should include provisions that effectively reduce traditional banking oversight requirements.

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If you find value in my content, consider showing your support via:

💳 PayPal: 
1) Simply scan the QR code below 📲
2) or visit https://www.paypal.me/thedinarian

🔗 Crypto – Support via Coinbase Wallet to: [email protected]

Or Buy me a coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/thedinarian

Your generosity keeps this mission alive, for all! Namasté 🙏 Crypto Michael ⚡  The Dinarian

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Dubai regulator VARA classifies RWA issuance as licensed activity
Virtual Asset Regulatory Authority (VARA) leads global regulatory framework - makes RWA issuance licensed activity in Dubai.

Real-world assets (RWAs) issuance is now licensed activity in Dubai.

~ Actual law.
~ Not a legal gray zone.
~ Not a whitepaper fantasy.

RWA issuance and listing on secondary markets is defined under binding crypto regulation.

It’s execution by Dubai.

Irina Heaver explained:

“RWA issuance is no longer theoretical. It’s now a regulatory reality.”

VARA defined:

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- Secondary market trading is permitted under VARA license

- Issuers need capital, audits, and legal disclosures

- Regulated broker-dealers and exchanges can now onboard and trade them

This closes the gap that killed STOs in 2018.

No more tokenization without venues.
No more assets without liquidity.

UAE is doing what Switzerland, Singapore, and Europe still haven’t:

Creating enforceable frameworks for RWA tokenization that actually work.

Matthew White, CEO of VARA, said it perfectly:

“Tokenization will redefine global finance in 2025.”

He’s not exaggerating.

$500B+ market predicted next year.

And the UAE just gave it legal rails.

~Real estate.
~Private credit.
~Shariah-compliant products.

Everything is in play.

This is how you turn hype into infrastructure.

What Dubai is doing now is 3 years ahead of everyone else.

Founders, investors, ecosystem builders:

You want to build real-world assets onchain.

Don’t waste another year waiting for clarity.

Come to Dubai.

It’s already here.

 

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🙏 Donations Accepted 🙏

If you find value in my content, consider showing your support via:

💳 PayPal: 
1) Simply scan the QR code below 📲
2) or visit https://www.paypal.me/thedinarian

🔗 Crypto – Support via Coinbase Wallet to: [email protected]

Or Buy me a coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/thedinarian

Your generosity keeps this mission alive, for all! Namasté 🙏 Crypto Michael ⚡  The Dinarian

 

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