Takeaways and forecasts from ARK Invest’s Bitcoin, AI agents, stablecoins, and blockchains 2025 report

ARK Invest released a comprehensive report detailing Bitcoin’s milestones in 2024, the surging run of AI agents, and the potential of stablecoins in the digital asset market. The report is complete with market predictions for 2030.

In 2024, Bitcoin reached unprecedented heights, significantly solidifying its position as the top-performing digital asset in the global financial system. 

Not just Bitcoin, but the whole cryptocurrency and tech industry experienced immense growth such as the explosion of artificial intelligence and the subsequent integration of AI agents into business operations can improve efficiency. 

Ark Invest’s “Big Ideas 2025” report details the potential of these emerging and evolving technologies. The firm projects that advancements in artificial intelligence, robotics, energy storage, blockchain technology and much more will significantly sustain innovation and lead to economic growth. 

Institutional Bitcoin adoption sets the trend 

Bitcoin ETFs started the year with SEC approval, and by the end of 2024, the total assets under management (AUM) for Bitcoin ETFs exceeded $100B.

Notably, there was a significant increase in institutional investments, with companies like BlackRock and Bitwise getting entrenched in the digital assets game.

74 publicly traded companies worldwide added Bitcoin to their balance sheets in 2024, collectively holding over 550,000 BTC (approximately $55 billion). Michael Saylor’s Strategy (formerly MicroStrategy) emerged as the largest corporate holder, possessing 446,000 BTC, representing 2.1% of Bitcoin’s circulating supply. 

ARK predicts that by 2030, Bitcoin’s price could reach $300K by bear market projections, while a bull market scenario could see prices reach $1.5M per BTC. Under neutral circumstances ARK expects Bitcoin to trade at $710K per coin by 2030.

The stablecoin market is up and to the right

The report mentions that the total value of annual stablecoin transactions in 2024 reached $15.6T. The figure was more than Visa’s $13.1T and Mastercard’s $7.8T as the fastest-growing payment network globally.

Solana and Tron now account for over 60% of stablecoin transactions. Layer 2 solutions like Arbitrum and Base led in terms of microtransactions under $100.

In December 2024, stablecoins trading volume reached $2.7 trillion, with 85% of those being small transactions under $100. More than 23 million wallet addresses hold stablecoins.

Developing markets like Brazil and Nigeria lead cross-border remittances. Blockchain users in these countries also use USD-backed stablecoins to protect their savings from inflation.

The ARK Invest report also noted that USD-backed stablecoins hold a dominant 98% of the fiat-pegged market share. US-based issuers like Tether (USDT) and Circle (USDC) are among the top 20 holders of US Treasuries.

Ethena Labs’ USDe introduced high interest rates of as much as 20-30% returns, which helped it attract $6B in assets within a year.

ARK predicts that by 2030, the size of stablecoins will reach $1.4T, accounting for 0.9% of the global M2 money supply, becoming the 13th largest circulating currency.

AI agents integration in business processes

AI agents have evolved from single-task tools to versatile, intelligent platforms and have so far reshaped consumer interactions and business processes. They now understand natural language and contextual reasoning. They can also use tools and are learning continuously. 

On the consumer front, AI-driven personalized agents are primed to replace traditional search engines, offering tailored experiences that anticipate user needs. 

ARK Invest’s projections suggest that by 2030, AI advertising revenue will constitute 54% of the digital advertising market, amounting to $600B. 

In e-commerce, AI agents have become integrated into the operating systems that users refer to for product searches, price comparisons, and payments through voice or text commands.

This integration is expected to lead digital wallets to account for 72% of global e-commerce transactions, which amounts to an additional $200B in enterprise value annually. By 2030, such AI agents are expected to contribute to $9T in online consumption, representing 25% of total global e-commerce.

AI agents can reduce the cost per interaction in customer service. They can move the price from $1 to $0.125 and handle 70% of inquiries, amounting to over $500 billion in saved labor costs for businesses globally. 

ARK Invest projects that the software market could expand from the current $1.5T to $13T, with a compound annual growth rate of 48%.

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