Crypto sector recorded $8.6B in deals in 2025 amid regulatory confidence

Source: CryptoNewsNet Original Title: Crypto saw record $8.6B in deals in 2025 with growth under Trump: FT Original Link: The crypto sector reportedly saw a record $8.6 billion worth of deals in 2025, as regulatory confidence brought optimism to crypto-focused mergers and acquisitions.

According to industry reports, 267 deals were inked in the crypto industry up to Tuesday, an 18% increase from 2024. The $8.6 billion in deal value is a nearly 300% jump from last year, which saw $2.17 billion in deals, and the growth is expected to continue into 2026.

A certain head-of-the-line exchange made the biggest acquisition of the year with its $2.9 billion purchase of a crypto options trading platform, marking the biggest-ever acquisition in crypto.

Other major mergers noted were a major exchange’s $1.5 billion acquisition of a futures trading platform, along with Ripple’s $1.25 billion deal to buy a crypto-friendly prime broker.

Regulatory clarity has opened the market to crypto, with deregulation policies and dropped regulatory lawsuits giving traditional finance institutions confidence to invest in the sector.

Big year for crypto IPOs

Industry reports noted that $14.6 billion was raised worldwide from 11 crypto initial public offerings, a major jump compared to the $310 million raised from just four crypto public debuts last year.

Some of the most anticipated IPOs of 2025 were a crypto exchange, which raised $1.1 billion; a stablecoin issuer, which raised over $1 billion; and another crypto exchange, which raised $425 million.

According to legal experts at major law firms, traditional finance players and crypto companies were actively looking to buy up firms for their licenses, especially those in line with regulatory frameworks like the EU’s MiCA laws, which is expected to continue into next year.

Demand for stablecoin companies was also predicted to continue into 2026, with new regulatory regimes forming in the US and UK.

Legal professionals predicted that companies will spend significant capital to remain compliant with new licensing regimes, including through acquisitions. They also forecast that new crypto laws would spur traditional finance companies to get involved in the industry, which would drive further mergers and acquisitions.

The major year for crypto deals has come as the market cooled in the latter part of the year, with Bitcoin falling more than 30% from its peak high of over $126,000 in early October.

Bitcoin has traded relatively flat over recent trading sessions at just below $88,000, having lifted from an intra-day low of nearly $86,500.