The crypto markets are experiencing a powerful bullish wave, highlighted by Bitcoin’s breakout and a broad shift in the sentiments. April 2025 has proven exceptionally turbulent for Ethereum, as the month began by exhibiting attempts at recovery, having recently posted a 30-day high of $2,078. However, this momentum was short-lived as the market entered a pronounced bearish phase, driven by the macroeconomic caution and shift in the market sentiments.
Throughout the month, the ETH price experienced a steep decline, reaching a 30-day low of $1386. The traders rushed to derisk portfolios, leading to heavy selling pressure, which contributed to the slide. Besides, the whale activity added to market jitters but the technicals remaining around the average range point towards a weak bullish momentum and a limited enthusiasm for a quick recovery.
Despite a decent recovery, the ETH price continues to trade under bearish influence. The bears are currently trying hard to restrict the rally below $1800 as the bullish momentum stumbles after rising above $1780. The conversion & base lines have undergone a bullish crossover, but the Ichimoku cloud is yet to turn bullish, which hints towards a potential pullback that could hinder the progress of the rally for a while. However, if the sentiments flip in favor of the bulls, the price could secure the resistance at $1800 and later head above $2000, which may initiate a fresh bullish rally.
How High Can Ethereum (ETH) Price Go in 2025?
The Ethereum price in the long term is flashing massive bullish signals as the token appears to have rebounded from the bottom. The current trade setup seems to be identical to that of the previous bull runs and hence, based on this, it can be speculated that the ETH price may undergo a massive upswing and achieve a 5-digit figure soon.
A popular analyst, CryptoRover, shared the historical chart of Ethereum and pointed towards the similarities between the current price action and the previous one’s. The analyst said that the ETH price is repeating history, which could result in a 3000% upswing, as happened back in 2021. If a similar rise occurs, then the Ethereum price may not only achieve a 5-digit figure but also go way above this range to form a new ATH.
XRP price has shot up nearly 5% in the past 12 hours in response to the US-China trade deal. Apart from Ripple the altcoins and the broader crypto markets are taking off. Bitcoin (BTC) price has surpassed the $97,000 threshold with Ethereum and others up 2%.
Currently, XRP price stands at $2.16, hinting at a potential breakout rally if the bullish sentiments sustain. As the token goes up, let’s explore the bullish factors supporting its upside potential.
XRP Price Surge
XRP Price Nears Channel Breakout as U.S.-China Trade Deal Develops
With a near 2% rise, XRP is at $2.16. However, the bullish trend faces critical resistance from the overhead trend line and the 50 and 100 EMA lines. Furthermore, the MACD and signal lines have recently given a negative crossover.
With multiple technical setbacks, the short-term surge in bullish momentum must surpass the overhead obstacles to sustain a bullish ride. However, the overnight surge has concluded the four-day downfall streak in the XRP price trend. This increases the possibility of a price jump in XRP.
As per the trend-based Fibonacci level, the potential breakout of the 100-EMA line at $2.21 will likely propel the XRP price to the 23.60% level at $2.45. On the flip side, the 200 EMA line at $1.9978 is a strong support for the XRP price.
The sudden reversal and increased bullish sentiments in Ripple’s XRP come before the anticipation of a U.S.-China trade deal meeting in Switzerland.
A Way Ahead in the U.S.-China Trade Deal
In a recent interview, Scott Bessent, the 79th U.S. Treasury Secretary, revealed a key upcoming discussion between the U.S. and China in Switzerland over the coming weekend. Scott Bessent revealed his plan to visit Switzerland to discuss trade deals with the Swiss. Chinese delegates, presently on a visit to Europe, are willing to discuss a potential way ahead in trade deals. Bessent said,
“The world has been coming to the U.S., and China has been the missing piece. We will meet on Saturday and Sunday to discuss our shared interests.”
Bessent adds that the current tariffs and trade barriers are unsustainable, but we don’t want to decouple. The treasury secretary further added that tariffs and other barriers are coming down as the world starts to renegotiate. “We are bringing strategic industries back home, from steel to semiconductors to medicine, and Americans will get a better deal.”
With the news, the NASDAQ 100 and S&P 500 registered a near 1% jump despite a weaker opening. This reflects the sudden optimism spike in the US markets.
China’s MOFCOM Confirms The Meeting in Switzerland
In a news release, China’s Ministry of Commerce, MOFCOM, has confirmed the news that Vice Premier He Lifeng will visit Switzerland. The vice premier will be a Chinese representative for the China-U.S. Economic and Trade Affairs. During his visit to Switzerland, he will meet the U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
The news release also states, “China has carefully evaluated these messages, taking into full account global expectations, China’s own interests, and the appeals of American businesses and consumers. China has decided to engage with the U.S. side.”
The development in the US-China trade deal discussion has pumped up the US and crypto markets alike. Bitcoin is up by nearly 3%. Similarly, altcoins like Ethereum witnessed more than 1.50%, and it has fueled Ripple’s XRP token surge of 1.85%.
Conclusion
The XRP price surges as the global trade war witnesses the two rivals coming back to talking terms. This could result in a key pivot point for global markets and risk assets like crypto.
Spanish authorities arrested five members of an international scam ring that stole up to $540 million. Operation BORRELLI targeted a shadowy group with victims in 30 different countries.
Police didn’t provide many key details about the group, such as how exactly they defrauded their victims. At the moment, it’s unclear whether or not any members remain at large.
Still, authorities are fighting back, just like Spanish police did in dismantling a crypto scam ring that stole up to $540 million:
“The organization’s leaders allegedly used a network of salespeople spread across the globe to raise funds through cash withdrawals, bank transfers, and crypto transfers. The criminal organization allegedly established an international corporate and banking network… to receive, store, and transfer criminal funds,” local authorities claimed in a press release.
The Guardia Civil claimed that this group defrauded up to 5,000 victims in 30 countries, using a Hong Kong-based firm to coordinate fraud and money laundering worldwide.
Spanish citizens only represented one-tenth of the scam victims and $45 million of losses. Still, many gang members lived in the country, and police arrested a broad swath of them.
The Spanish Civil Guard dismantled an international crypto-scam network that affected more than 5,000 victims in 30 countries. Source: Interior Ministry
According to local reporting, Spanish authorities arrested five members of this scam group in raids throughout Madrid and the Canary Islands.
The investigation involved cooperation with EUROPOL and 15 separate nations, most of which were not EU members. This shows the international scope of the group’s operations.
At the moment, it isn’t clear how many members remain active around the world, especially because it employed cutout firms in several countries. Could five people in one nation accomplish that alone?
Spanish police may anticipate future scams, leading to a lack of relevant details. Still, it’s hard to say for sure. There isn’t publicly available evidence of the Spanish group’s true size.
Unfortunately, the announcement was light on specifics, but it contained valuable information nonetheless. If nothing else, the international community is taking a proactive approach to crimefighting.
More details will likely emerge during court proceedings.
BeInCrypto had the opportunity to sit down with Laura K. Inamedinova, Chief Ecosystem Officer at Gate.io, during the Next Block Expo, The Blockchain Festival of Europe 2025. As one of the leading figures in the Web3 and crypto space, Laura shared her insights on the current state of the venture capital industry, its challenges, and the exciting opportunities emerging in 2025.
In this interview, Laura discusses the factors that are shaping the future of Web3 venture capital, the potential for stablecoins and real-world asset tokenization, and how global regulatory advancements are paving the way for more institutional involvement in the sector. Her expertise offers valuable guidance for anyone looking to understand the next phase of crypto and blockchain development.
The Resurgence of Web3 Venture Capital: Key Drivers for 2025
BeInCrypto (BIC): Given the challenging VC landscape in 2024, what factors do you believe will drive a potential resurgence in Web3 venture capital activity in 2025?
Laura K. Inamedinova (LKI): After a tough 2024, I think we’re finally seeing the pieces fall into place for a strong Web3 VC comeback in 2025. Regulations are becoming clearer; the US is dropping major lawsuits like Ripple, and Trump announced a $17 billion crypto reserve.
That shift alone has already brought results: we saw $861 million in crypto VC deals just in Q1, which is a clear sign of renewed confidence. What’s also fueling the comeback is global capital.
For example, Gate Ventures launched a $100 million fund with UAE last year, and Abu Dhabi invested $2 billion into Binance, positioning the region as a new hotspot for Web3 investment. Overall, Web3 venture capital activity is shifting back to the early stage. In 2024, 85% of VC deals were seed or Series A, backing infrastructure-first projects like modular chains like Celestia and Move-based networks like Movement Labs.
Institutional Involvement and Regulatory Advancements Shaping Investment Strategies
BIC: Last year marked the rise of institutional involvement in Web3 and regulatory advancements for the industry. How do you see these factors influencing your investment strategy in the coming year?
LKI: This has been a cycle of contrasts. Retail chased hype-driven meme coins, while institutions played it safe, focusing on stablecoins and tokenized assets.
Regulatory clarity is now reinforcing that shift: MiCA in Europe and new US frameworks under the Trump administration are making yield-bearing stablecoins and risk-adjusted RWAs like tokenized treasuries more attractive. In a high-interest-rate environment, these assets offer stable returns – a much safer bet for serious investors.
Our investment thesis aligns with this institutional trend, focusing on RWA tokenization platforms and stablecoin ecosystems. By backing the infrastructure that enables compliant, scalable adoption, we position ourselves at the core of crypto’s institutional evolution.
Consumer-Oriented Solutions in Web3
BIC: Which areas of Web3 (e.g., NFTs, DeFi, DAOs, etc.) do you believe will maintain its momentum into 2025, and why?
LKI: To predict the next big narratives, we need to understand what’s holding the market back today. Most projects have been heavily B2B-focused, catering to existing industry players rather than expanding the ecosystem by attracting a fresh audience from Web2. This inward-facing approach has limited mainstream adoption. It created an echo chamber where innovation circulates among the same user base without reaching new consumers.
Put simply, for one project to win, three others need to die. The true winners of this cycle will be those who shift their focus to consumer-oriented solutions, designing products and experiences that resonate with everyday users. By prioritizing accessibility, usability, and real-world value, these projects will finally break the cycle and catalyze the beginning of the bull market.
Apart from the B2C focused apps, I see strong potential in AI, RWA, and payment solutions. It goes without saying, AI is here to stay. But instead of simple ChatGPT-wrapped AI agents, we’ll see more advanced, integrated solutions with real-world applications, including robotics.
This will unlock a ton of new use cases in automated security, AI-driven trading, and on-chain decision-making, to name just a few. I see AI transforming from an external tool into a fundamental layer of Web3. RWA tokenization will continue to gain momentum, especially with the integration of AI-powered RWAs.
Major institutions like State Street are already exploring AI-driven tokenized bonds and money market funds. There’s a growing alignment between traditional finance and blockchain. This isn’t a niche development – it’s an opportunity to unlock liquidity in a $70 trillion+ asset class. With RWA tokenization projected to surpass $50 billion by the end of 2025, the addition of AI will introduce automation, scalability, and transparency – critical elements for mass adoption.
Payments will also be a key driver. Stablecoins are seeing increased adoption for cross-border transactions, remittances, and on-chain settlements. Regulatory clarity and improved UX will accelerate this trend, making stablecoins a core component for the future of global finance.
Bartek Juraszek of BeInCrypto speaks with Laura K. Inamedinova at Next Block Expo
Stablecoins as Core Infrastructure for Venture Capital
BIC: Stablecoin development attracted significant venture capital in the last quarter of 2024. Do you see this trend continuing, and what specific aspects of stablecoin projects are you prioritizing?
LKI: Stablecoins were a major VC focus in late 2024, and I see that trend continuing in 2025. Just in Q4, stablecoin projects pulled in $649 million across nine deals; that’s nearly 18% of all crypto VC funding. We’re also seeing strong signals from traditional finance: Fidelity is testing its own stablecoin, and Trump-linked World Liberty Financial launched USD1.
With over $239 billion in stablecoins already in circulation, this space isn’t just growing, it’s becoming core infrastructure for payments, trading, and settlements across both DeFi and TradFi.
What’s getting the most attention now is the rise of gold-backed stablecoins. Tokens like Tether’s XAUT and Paxos’ PAXG now hold a combined market cap of over $1.4 billion, a massive jump from just $12 million in 2020. These asset-backed models bring real-world value on-chain and offer protection against inflation, which is super attractive in today’s macro environment.
Based on this, we’re prioritizing stablecoin projects that have strong collateral models, clear regulatory paths, and real use cases beyond speculation, especially those bridging into RWAs or global payments.
Innovations in DeFi and Infrastructure
BIC: DeFi and Infrastructure followed closely behind the top categories. What specific innovations within these sectors are you most excited about for potential funding in 2025?
LKI: I think in DeFi, the real momentum is getting toward projects that merge automation with usability and compliance. One standout is DeFi Agents AI ($DEFAI), which raised $1.2 million in January 2025, backed by GameFi.org and eesee.io. It is building an AI trading assistant layered with restaking mechanics. So, you’re not just trading; you’re staking for revenue share and training custom models.
Add to that tools like Griffain, which reduces impermanent loss by 22%, and VaderAI, running 10,000+ on-chain transactions daily, and you start to see a new class of DeFi products built for scale, efficiency, and real usage. As MiCA 2.0 rolls out in Europe, platforms that offer AI-powered compliance and risk tools will stand out in both funding rounds and user adoption.
From an infrastructure perspective, we’re seeing strong capital flow into AI-ready backend systems that support these DeFi layers. CoreWeave, backed by over $1.1 billion from Nvidia and Microsoft, is scaling AI-optimized data centers that can support up to 5 million DeFi agents per site.
On the enterprise side, Cisco’s acquisition of strong intelligence and deeper insights AI shows how serious legacy tech firms are about owning the infrastructure layer. For investors, this is where the edge is. Make sure to check out projects that are building the high-speed, compliant infrastructure that will quietly power the next wave of DeFi and on-chain automation.
Not Just Meme Coins and AI Agents: Is Web3 Maturing?
BIC: The last couple of months suggested a shift away from meme coins and AI agents. What do you attribute this change in investor sentiment to, and what does it suggest about the maturity of the Web3 market?
LKI: The recent shift away from memes and AI agents reflects a growing maturity in the Web3 market. Meme coins, while often popular in speculative cycles, generally lack real utility, making them unsustainable in the long run.
AI agents are still in their infancy – most projects offer similar functionalities, suffer from technical limitations, and remain too buggy for practical use. As the market matures, investors are becoming more discerning, prioritizing projects with tangible value, strong fundamentals, and real-world applications.
This shift suggests a move toward more sustainable narratives, such as payments, RWA tokenization, and infrastructure, signaling that Web3 is evolving beyond hype-driven trends into a phase of real adoption and long-term growth.
BIC: What types of projects and what qualities of projects are you most looking for in 2025?
LKI: We have multiple criteria when evaluating projects with the best fit for our venture arm. First, we’re looking for projects that are led by experienced founders with a proven track record in Web3, ideally with a successful exit in the past.
Second, we prioritize businesses with existing investor backing, whether in the current or previous rounds. We evaluate each project on a case-by-case basis, but our investment thesis generally revolves around stablecoins, payments, new technology, infrastructure, and US-based projects.
Third, we take into consideration the project’s valuation, tokenomics, and burn rate.
Last but not least, we assess the company’s ability to drive real-world adoption, offering solutions with a clear path to mainstream success.
Conclusion: Venture Capital in Web3
BIC: How do you balance the pursuit of emerging trends with the need for sustainable, long-term value creation in your Web3 investments?
LKI: One of the clearest signals this cycle has been the rise of AI agent coins – they hit a $16.6 billion market cap early in 2025. It shows that when you combine a viral narrative with actual user engagement, there’s staying power.
From there, we saw that the bigger trend wasn’t just AI; it was AI fused with tokenization. Projects like Centrifuge, which tokenizes real-world assets like invoices and real estate to unlock liquidity for businesses, are doing exactly that. They’re not hype plays; they’re solving real inefficiencies in traditional finance using on-chain rails.
We’re also seeing strong signals from early-stage modular blockchain ecosystems that are building quietly but with clear scalability goals. We lean into trends but only when the tech underneath has the foundation to last.
Laura K. Inamedinova speaks at NBX
About Laura K. Inamedinova
An award-winning serial entrepreneur, investor, and keynote speaker sharing her insights on Web3 space since 2016. She currently holds a dual role within the Gate ecosystem, managing the global growth of the exchange and attracting new investments to its venture arm – GVC.
In her position as a CGEO at Gate.io, she builds cross-border partnerships and as a Principal at Gate Ventures, Laura oversees investments, partnerships, and development of the fund.
Before joining Gate.io, she founded a Web3 marketing agency, LKI Consulting, which she grew to 8-figures. This led her to be globally acclaimed as one of the “10 Women Entrepreneurs” by Entrepreneur Magazine and among the “Top 10 Women in International Business” by Silicon Valley Times. She was named one of Forbes’ 30 Under 30 Blockchain Visionaries, recognizing her impact on the global crypto ecosystem.
On a personal level, Laura is a successful angel investor with 40+ projects in her portfolio, an ex-Forbes and Huffington Post columnist, and an internationally renowned speaker with a track record of 156+ conferences in 25+ countries.
About Gate.io
Gate.io is a global cryptocurrency exchange platform that facilitates the buying, selling, and trading of over 3,800 digital assets. It offers a variety of products and services, including spot and futures trading, staking, decentralized finance (DeFi) solutions, Web3 wallets, and educational resources.
Additionally, Gate.io provides a range of tools for managing crypto investments, such as exchange wallets, live market data, and token airdrops. The platform also emphasizes security with robust measures like proof of reserves and offers services like Gate Pay for sending and receiving cryptocurrencies.
