Increased institutional involvement: More banks, hedge funds, and corporations are entering the crypto space, bringing legitimacy and stability.

Regulatory clarity: Governments worldwide are working on clearer regulations. Stricter rules could either slow down growth or make crypto more mainstream.

2. Bitcoin & Ethereum Dominance
Bitcoin (BTC): Continues to be seen as "digital gold" and a hedge against inflation.

Ethereum (ETH): With Ethereum 2.0 upgrades, it remains the leader in smart contracts and decentralized applications (dApps).

Other layer-1 blockchains (Solana, Avalanche, etc.) are competing for market share.