Crypto Deals Soar to $8.6 Billion in 2025 as Trump Fuels Market Boom: Report

Highlights:

• Under Trump’s administration, crypto deals reached $8.6 billion this year, which broke all previous records under Trump.
• Major acquisitions and IPOs surged, including Coinbase’s $2.9 billion Deribit purchase globally.
• Analysts expect crypto mergers and stablecoin demand to grow in 2026 regulations.

The crypto industry saw record deal activity in 2025. Total transactions reached $8.6 billion. This is almost a 300% jump from $2.17 billion last year. It shows growing investor confidence and strong market momentum. The Financial Times reported on December 23 that the sector completed 267 deals this year. This is an 18% increase from 2024. Experts believe this growth could continue into 2026. Policy changes in the United States are expected to support this trend.

Trump Policies and Big Deals Drive Cryptocurrency Market Growth

US President Donald Trump’s friendly stance on crypto played a key role. Actions like reducing regulations and dropping lawsuits encouraged traditional banks and investors. They started putting more money into the crypto market.

Coinbase led the market by buying Deribit for $2.9 billion. This is the largest deal in the crypto industry so far. Kraken followed with the purchase of futures trading platform NinjaTrader for $1.5 billion. Ripple also made a big move, acquiring Hidden Road, a global credit network, for $1.25 billion.

These major mergers show growing interest from institutions in crypto licenses and compliance. Diego Ballon Ossio, a partner at Clifford Chance, said traditional finance firms and crypto businesses are targeting companies for their licenses. He added that this trend is likely to continue in 2026, especially for firms following the EU’s MiCA regulations.

The crypto sector also saw a big rise in initial public offerings. Companies raised a total of $14.6 billion through 11 IPOs worldwide. This is a huge jump from $310 million raised through just four IPOs in 2024. Among the most awaited IPOs, Bullish raised $1.1 billion. Circle Internet Group also raised over $1 billion, and Gemini secured $425 million. These IPOs show growing investor interest in crypto platforms and financial technology firms.

Stablecoin Demand and Mergers Set to Drive Crypto Growth in 2026

Analysts expect demand for stablecoin companies to rise next year. This is due to new crypto-friendly regulations in the United States and the United Kingdom. Charles Kerrigan, a partner at CMS law firm, said firms will invest heavily to stay compliant with the new licensing rules. Most of this will happen through acquisitions. Kerrigan added that the new US rules will likely push traditional financial companies to enter the crypto sector. This could further boost mergers and acquisitions in 2026.

The record-breaking deal activity happened despite a market downturn at the end of 2025. Bitcoin fell more than 31% from its early October all-time high of $126,198. It has stabilized slightly, now trading just below $88,000 after hitting a low near $86,500. Trading volume fell 35% in the past 24 hours, showing cautious market sentiment during the holidays.

BTC is facing selling pressure at the end of the year. Spot Bitcoin ETFs in the United States lost $175.3 million on Wednesday. Over the past five trading days, ETFs have lost a total of $825.7 million.