A Web 3.0 VC’s Guide to Surviving and Thriving in 2025

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2024 will be recognized as the year when crypto and blockchain finally mainstreamed their legitimacy.

While the crypto industry is no stranger to adversity, this year has seen a surge of optimism regarding its potential.

With the re-election of Donald Trump as President of the United States, the global cryptocurrency market has surpassed a valuation of $3 trillion for the first time in over three years.

This resurgence is driven by a demand for Bitcoin and other digital assets, coinciding with the new administration’s policies and market sentiment.

With the clouds starting to part, regulatory clarity and infrastructural progress have emerged as two key factors driving the industry’s successes and hard-earned legitimacy.

This shift has fueled a steady influx of VC (venture capital) investments over the course of 2024, signaling the market is both maturing and preparing for a major breakout.

So, how can startups take advantage of 2025’s fresh possibilities to garner VC attention? The answer lies in reflecting on the past year.

Gains of 2024

This year welcomed a new level of maturity for the crypto sector, with some of the most successful projects prioritizing security, compliance and building trust with investors and the broader Web 3.0 community.

Just two weeks into the year, the approval of spot Bitcoin ETFs supercharged market confidence, attracting institutional and retail investors. But why?

The move legitimized Bitcoin in the eyes of skeptics, fueling interest in crypto to the general public and driving gradual price gains.

By making Bitcoin more accessible through traditional financial markets, the approval opened the gates for larger institutional investments, which had previously been cautious about direct exposure to the crypto market.

And now, Trump’s re-election has produced a market surge, with Bitcoin prices reaching a historic high, surging over 129% in 2024.

While the specifics of Trump’s crypto policy remain uncertain, he is widely anticipated to be a strong ally to the industry, fueling optimism for what lies ahead.

One of the most welcomed developments over the last 12 months has been the convergence between crypto and AI.

While it was always clear that these two transformative technologies would eventually intersect, few could have predicted the speed and scale at which they merged – and the surface of what’s possible is only just being scratched.

While there is no crystal…