NEW YORK (Realist English). The global cryptocurrency market reached a valuation of $4 trillion on Friday, according to CoinGecko, underscoring the sector’s transformation from a speculative niche into a central pillar of global finance.
The milestone reflects a combination of rising institutional investment, expanding retail adoption, and growing regulatory clarity in major markets. Key among the developments: the U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday passed the Genius Act, a long-awaited bill establishing a regulatory framework for U.S.-dollar-pegged stablecoins. The legislation now heads to President Donald Trump, who is widely expected to sign it into law.
“The arrival of the Trump legislation signaled an about-turn in attitudes towards the crypto industry, but legislators are still exercising some caution,” said Derren Nathan, head of equity research at Hargreaves Lansdown.
In addition to the stablecoin bill, lawmakers also advanced two other pieces of crypto legislation. One proposes a broader regulatory structure for digital assets, while the other seeks to ban the issuance of a central bank digital currency (CBDC) by the U.S. Federal Reserve — a measure championed by conservative factions opposed to state-backed digital money.
The $4 trillion valuation highlights the sector’s acceleration. Bitcoin, which crossed $120,000 earlier this week, was trading down 1.8% on Friday, with a market cap that continues to anchor the broader crypto economy. Ether, the second-largest token, gained 4.5% and has more than doubled in value over the past three months.
Asset managers, corporate treasuries, and trading platforms are increasingly allocating capital to crypto. Public companies are adding bitcoin to balance sheets as a long-term store of value, while new exchange-traded products and retail platforms have deepened access to digital assets.
Chris Perkins, president of CoinFund, called the Genius Act “a foundational step in mainstreaming of crypto as an asset class.”
The rally in digital tokens also lifted crypto-related equities. Shares of Coinbase and Robinhood, both of which offer crypto trading services, closed at record highs on Friday — up 1% and 3%, respectively. Ether-focused stocks saw broad gains across the board.
Brokerage firm Bernstein forecast bitcoin could reach $200,000 by the end of 2025, citing continued institutional adoption and a shrinking supply post-halving.
As of Friday afternoon, the total crypto market capitalization stood at $3.92 trillion, just shy of the day’s high, reinforcing its new role in shaping financial markets worldwide.
