Opinion by: Dominic Schwenter, chief operating officer of Lisk

The US is in the middle of a crypto boom. Exchange-traded fund approvals have opened the door to institutional adoption, liquidity is increasing, and regulatory clarity is beginning to take shape under a more crypto-aligned administration. Filings from the Securities and Exchange Commission referencing blockchain hit an all-time high in February 2025, signaling a broader shift in how seriously the technology is being taken at the highest levels.

This momentum is good for the industry. US-based crypto companies have spent nearly a decade building through regulatory uncertainty, and they deserve the attention and rewards that are finally arriving. Is institutional support finally showing up? It’s overdue — and well-earned.

Zooming in on the US too much, however, puts the industry at risk of missing what’s happening elsewhere. Some of the most important crypto adoption today takes root in places far outside the spotlight.

The most exciting crypto adoption isn’t happening on Wall Street. It is unfolding in high-growth markets where people use crypto not to speculate but out of necessity. These communities didn’t wait for headlines. They built through every cycle and are now setting the pace for where Web3 is going next.

High-growth markets are leading in adoption

Fifteen of the top 20 countries on Chainalysis’s 2024 Global Crypto Adoption Index are in high-growth regions such as Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines and Nigeria. These aren’t just speculative hotspots. In many of these countries, crypto is part of daily life. Unlike boom-and-bust markets, adoption here hasn’t wavered. It is grounded in utility.

In many of these economies, crypto helps families facilitate remittance, offers a safer way to store value when local currencies aren’t stable, and lets small businesses move money without friction. In the West, crypto still carries the sheen of a high-risk investment. In high-growth markets, it’s already embedded into daily life. That’s what real adoption looks like.

Builders are shifting to high-growth markets

As steady, practical usage rises, builder activity follows. Currently, the global developer map is changing fast. 

According to the 2024 Electric Capital Developer Report, Asia now accounts for 32% of active crypto developers — a massive jump from just 12% in 2015. Over the same period, the US share dropped sharply, from 38% to 19%. The blockchain talent pool isn’t shrinking. It’s moving to where the momentum is.

Additionally, 41% of all new crypto developers now come from Asia, illustrating a growing pipeline of builders emerging outside of traditional tech hubs. These aren’t just hobbyists but the next wave of founders, architects and engineers choosing to build closer to the problems crypto can solve.

Recent: Bitcoin’s role as an inflation hedge depends on where one lives — Analyst

This shift isn’t limited to Central Asia. Africa, South America and Southeast Asia are all seeing steady increases in developer activity, while North America and Europe continue to decline in relative share. The message is clear: Web3 innovation is no longer anchored to a single geography. It’s being driven by builders who are closer to real-world needs — and who are designing for them.

Blockchain solves real problems

The surge in developer activity and adoption across high-growth markets isn’t happening in a vacuum. Instead, it’s tied to real-world effects. 

A clear example is PepsiCo South Africa’s use of blockchain for supply chain tracking in the informal trade sector. In a region where traditional infrastructure is often fragmented or absent, this implementation does what blockchain was meant to do: solve problems.

Using a blockchain-powered end-to-end digital payments solution like Lov.cash, PepsiCo enables cashless payments between small, often unbanked retailers and wholesalers. The system also gave wholesalers a clear view into what was selling and where — helping them plan smarter and cut down on waste. There’s no token speculation here, no shiny non-fungible tokens — just a real solution to a real supply chain problem.

Stories like this rarely get top billing, but they’re where the technology actually delivers. In places where basic infrastructure is lacking, blockchain isn’t an experiment. It’s a workaround. If the industry keeps chasing hype while ignoring this influence, it’ll miss the most significant chance to make a difference.

A call to action for Web3 builders

What’s happening in the US is worthy of celebration — but it’s not the whole story. Real-world adoption, momentum from builders, and real use cases are accelerating in high-growth markets, where crypto is already making a difference.

This is where Web3’s long-term effect will be shaped. Builders and investors should stop waiting for validation from Washington or Wall Street and start paying attention to the places where the tech is solving real problems right now.

Crypto didn’t wait for the US to matter. If the goal is to build something truly global, it’s time to follow the people already using it to make things work.

Opinion by: Dominic Schwenter, chief operating officer of Lisk.

This article is for general information purposes and is not intended to be and should not be taken as legal or investment advice. The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed here are the author’s alone and do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Cointelegraph.

Japanese investment firm Metaplanet increased its Bitcoin holdings to more than $400 million after its latest purchase.

Metaplanet acquired 330 Bitcoin (BTC) for $28.2 million at an average price of $85,605 per BTC, bringing its total holdings to 4,855 Bitcoin worth $414 million, according to an April 21 post from Simon Gerovich, the CEO of Metaplanet.

The firm’s Bitcoin yield surpassed 119% year-to-date after its latest investment.

Source: Simon Gerovich

Metaplanet issued 2 billion Japanese yen ($13.3 million) of bonds to buy more Bitcoin on March 31, Cointelegraph reported.

Related: UK firm buys $250M Bitcoin as analysts eye quiet Easter weekend

The $414 million in Bitcoin holdings make Metaplanet Asia’s largest and the world’s 10th-largest corporate Bitcoin holder, Bitbo data shows.

Source: Bitbo 

According to Enmanuel Cardozo, a market analyst at the asset tokenization platform Brickken, the growing institutional presence of firms, such as Strategy and Tether, is accelerating the four-year Bitcoin cycle.

“That puts the bottom around Q3 this year and a peak mid-2026, but I think we might see things move it a bit sooner because the market’s more mature now with more liquidity,” the analyst told Cointelegraph.

Related: $1T stablecoin supply could drive next crypto rally — CoinFund’s Pakman

Metaplanet plans to reach 21,000 BTC

The latest acquisitions are part of Metaplanet’s plans to accumulate 21,000 BTC by 2026, aligning with its mission to drive Bitcoin adoption across Japan.

Often dubbed “Asia’s MicroStrategy,” Metaplanet has drawn comparisons to Michael Saylor’s company Strategy, which continues to top the list of public Bitcoin holders.

Metaplanet’s investment was announced a week after the latest purchase by Strategy, the world’s largest corporate Bitcoin holder.

Source: Michael Saylor

Strategy bought 3,459 BTC for $285.5 million at an average price of $82,618 per BTC, bringing its total holding to 531,644 BTC acquired for a cumulative $35.92 billion, Cointelegraph reported on April 14.

Despite tariff uncertainty limiting risk appetite among traditional and crypto investors in the short term, analysts are optimistic about Bitcoin’s price trajectory for the next decade.

Bitcoin may surpass $1.8 million by 2035, driven by its growing recognition as a superior savings technology, set to rival or surpass gold’s $21 trillion market capitalization, Joe Burnett, director of market research at Unchained, told Cointelegraph during the  Chainreaction live show on X.

Magazine: SCB tips $500K BTC, SEC delays Ether ETF options, and more: Hodler’s Digest, Feb. 23 – March 1

Bitcoin (BTC) is eyeing new April highs as macro instability suddenly delivers a tailwind for BTC price performance.

Bitcoin is on the way up, nearing $88,000, but few market participants are willing to trust the strength of snap price moves.

A new macro week dawns in the shadow of the US trade war, with Federal Reserve speakers lining up to take to the stage.

Gold is shattering all-time highs yet again, but this time, Bitcoin is starting to react in kind.

US dollar weakness exhibits historic traits as three-year lows spark bullish predictions for Bitcoin and commodities.

The newest BTC hodlers are already profiting from the latest move, but speculators are waiting for a reclaim of $91,000.

BTC price spike met with skepticism

Bitcoin is starting the week off right with a 3% climb on the back of fresh macroeconomic turmoil focused on the US-China trade war.

BTC/USD reached $87,705 after the April 20 weekly close, data from Cointelegraph Markets Pro and TradingView shows, its highest in nearly three weeks.

BTC/USD 1-hour chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

Reacting, however, traders have been cautious, highlighting the unreliable nature of volatile moves that begin during non-TradFi trading hours such as weekends.

“Nice breakout, but it’s on low volume,” trading resource Stockmoney Lizards wrote in part of a response on X. 

“WIll definitely need confirmation. In any case, you shouldn’t be too euphoric yet.”

Never like to trust a Sunday pump – lots of false breakouts here by the looks of it. Lets see what next week brings pic.twitter.com/cVE1j1Gh63

— Honeybadger (@HoneybadgerC) April 21, 2025

Fellow trading account IncomeSharks shared similar views, saying that BTC price strength must continue in the face of weak equities.

“Nice to see the downtrend breakout but the timing is important,” it explained.

“Sunday is not a day to celebrate a low volume pump while stock markets are closed. If you want to see a bullish moves lets see stocks open red tomorrow and keep this candle green. Then we can have fun.”BTC/USD 1-day chart. Source: IncomeSharks/X

Crypto trader, analyst and entrepreneur Michaël van de Poppe continued the lukewarm reaction to the upside on both Bitcoin and gold, predicting that they would “probably will give it back.”

“Needs to get above $88,804 to break the series of lower highs and lower lows,” trader, analyst and podcast host Scott Melker, known as the “Wolf of All Streets,” added. 

“Is it time?”

Fed policy in spotlight as officials speak

As last week, the coming days will see the Federal Reserve take the spotlight as senior officials comment on the current macroeconomic landscape.

A total of eight Federal Reserve presidents will shed fresh light on what is an increasingly contentious status quo for the US, with the Fed at odds with demands from President Donald Trump.

Last week, Trump even called for Fed Chair Jerome Powell to be fired, a move which sparked concerns over US economic stability.

Powell has repeatedly come out hawkish on financial policy, hinting at being in no rush to lower interest rates as Trump’s trade war fuels inflation concerns.

The latest data from CME Group’s FedWatch Tool reflects this, with traders seeing a rate cut likely only at the Fed’s June meeting.

Fed target rate probabilities for June FOMC meeting. Source: CME Group

With little by way of new macro data due for release, however, markets will continue to focus on the trade war itself, along with the volatility it often creates.

The start of the week has been no exception so far — China issuing warnings over collaboration with the US to isolate it immediately sent stocks futures tumbling while gold soared to new all-time highs.

Bitcoin, in a break with recent tradition, managed to copy gold’s optimism instead of following equities lower.

“Gold has hit its 55th all time high in 12 months and Bitcoin is officially joining the run, now above $87,000,” trading resource The Kobeissi Letter responded in part of an X post on the topic. 

“The narrative in both Gold and Bitcoin is aligning for the first time in years: Gold and Bitcoin are telling us that a weaker US Dollar and more uncertainty are on the way.”

Gold nears record $3,400 on trade war fears

Gold itself, meanwhile, remains the standout bullish story for 2025.

Amid the uncertainty wrought by the trade war and its potential long-term impact on inflation and global assets, XAU/USD has exploded nearly 30% year-to-date.

The pair is currently circling a record $3,400 per ounce, and while some have warned that a “blow-off top” is due, momentum refuses to slow down.

XAU/USD 1-day chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

Kobeissi suggested that Trump’s latest trade-war post on social media, in the form of a “non-tariff cheating” sheet, helped reignite gold’s relentless march higher.

“President Trump’s ‘non-tariff cheating’ list is arguably one of the best things to happen to gold all year,” it argued.

“Gold knows what’s coming next.”

Kobeissi revealed that gold had, in fact, outperformed the S&P 500 since the COVID-19 cross-market crash in March 2020.

For Bitcoin, however, change appears to be afoot. As Cointelegraph reported, BTC/USD has finally begun to mimic gold’s reaction to macro uncertainty after spending months in a downtrend.

As that downtrend is slowly left behind, talk is turning to historical precedent. In the past, Bitcoin breakouts have lagged gold by around three months.

“After futures opened it didn’t take long for $BTC and $GOLD to move up quickly as equities moved down,” popular trader Daan Crypto Trades told X followers. 

“Pretty interesting move which is now compounding on the relative strength BTC has already been showing for weeks.”BTC/USD vs. XAU/USD 1-day chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

Dollar strength plumbs new 3-year lows

Adding to the mix is fresh US dollar weakness, something which hedge fund creator Andreas Steno Larsen described as a “good early sign for Bitcoin.”

“We ain’t seen nothing yet, if this continues (and if Powell is laid off),” he argued on X alongside a chart of BTC versus USD returns. 

Bitcoin vs. USD returns. Source: Andreas Steno/X

The US dollar index (DXY), which tracks greenback strength against a basket of major US trading partner currencies, was down another 1.3% on April 21 at the time of writing. This, in turn, brought the year-to-date downside to nearly 10%.

Now at its lowest levels since March 2022, DXY is being heralded as the powder keg to spark a giant bull run in both Bitcoin and commodities.

“The US Dollar has gone ‘no bid,’ teetering on a historic 14-yr uptrend breakdown from 2011,” popular trading resource Rock Bottom Entries told X followers. 

“Forget 2016 & 2020—this will ignite a 2000s-style commodity supercycle.”US dollar index (DXY) 1-month chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView

Bitcoin traditionally outperforms to the upside during periods of rapid DXY suppression, inverse correlation which has been lacking in recent times.

“Contrary to what you hear on social media, Bitcoin has been in lockstep with DXY for a couple of years,” analyst Joe Dean thus commented on the phenomenon. 

“DXY overshot to the upside, then the downside, and will likely find its way back to the mean. $BTC will likely follow.”US dollar index (DXY) vs. BTC/USD chart. Source: Joe Dean/X

Bitcoin newbies back in the black

Short-term BTC price moves are already making a tangible difference to certain Bitcoin investor cohorts.

Related: Bitcoin prepares for launch from $85K, BNB, HYPE, TAO and RNDR could follow

New research from onchain analytics platform CryptoQuant reveals that even a tap of $87,000 has placed the most recent set of buyers in the black, with an average 3.7% profit.

“This is a short-term bullish signal, showing renewed confidence and reduced panic risk among the newest market entrants,” CryptoQuant contributor Crazzyblockk wrote in one of its “Quicktake” blog posts.

The move nonetheless comes in contrast to the large short-term holder (STH) cohort, comprised of buyers up to six months old, which has an aggregate cost basis of $91,000.

As Cointelegraph reported, STH cost bases can act as both support and resistance for extended periods as speculative hodlers react to sudden price swings.

“Until BTC closes above the $91K threshold, Short-Term Holders remain in loss. This may sustain latent sell pressure, especially if price momentum weakens — reinforcing the importance of a decisive breakout above STH realized price to neutralize this overhang,” CryptoQuant added.

Bitcoin STH profitability (screenshot). Source: CryptoQuant

This article does not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision.