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The Next Crypto Trend Could Change How You Spend, Save, and Travel
Benjamin Vitáris
August 18, 2025
Crypto’s reach is widening. Thailand wants to attract millions of visitors with a national crypto payments program.
Circle, Stripe, and other fintech giants are building proprietary blockchains to control their own rails. And Gemini is lining up for a Nasdaq listing, following Circle and Bullish into the public markets.
These aren’t just headlines. They signal where capital, infrastructure, and credibility are flowing.
Governments, payment processors, and exchanges are reshaping the landscape, each with its own strategies.
For investors, the implications run deep: adoption is moving from speculation to systemic integration.
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Market-Moving News
As always, there’s plenty happening to set the tone in crypto markets. Some of the most impactful moves are:
Thailand prepares a crypto payments rollout for tourists, aiming to capture foreign inflows and boost competitiveness.
Circle, Stripe, and other fintech leaders launch their own blockchains to cut costs and control ecosystems.
Gemini files for a Nasdaq listing, seeking momentum from Circle’s and Bullish’s successful IPOs.
From sovereign adoption to fintech rails and IPO pipelines, the playing field is shifting fast, and investors who adapt early stand to benefit most.
Altcoins
Thailand Plans Nationwide Crypto Payments for Tourists
Thailand is preparing to roll out a government-backed crypto payments program aimed at foreign visitors.
The initiative, led by the Ministry of Tourism, would allow travelers to pay for hotels, dining, and attractions using stablecoins and select cryptocurrencies, with local banks and licensed exchanges facilitating the transactions.
The program comes as Thailand looks to revive tourism inflows and gain a competitive edge over other Asian hubs like Singapore and Hong Kong.
Officials believe crypto acceptance will attract high-spending digital asset holders, particularly from markets where capital controls make overseas spending difficult.
Early reports suggest the government may pilot the system in major tourist hotspots such as Bangkok, Phuket, and Chiang Mai.
For investors, the plan signals how governments may increasingly use crypto infrastructure as an economic lever.
If executed well, Thailand could create one of the first large-scale national test cases for crypto as a medium of exchange.
Wider adoption in the travel sector may also fuel demand for stablecoins, expanding transaction volume and reinforcing their role in global commerce.
Fintech Adoption
Circle, Stripe, and Fintech Giants Are Building Their Own Blockchains
A new wave of fintech heavyweights, including Circle, Stripe, and several global payment platforms, are launching proprietary blockchains to run stablecoins, payments, and DeFi integrations.
Instead of relying solely on Ethereum or Solana, these firms are seeking vertical integration: controlling their rails to reduce transaction costs, improve speed, and capture more value.
Circle’s network will tie directly into USDC issuance, while Stripe is piloting blockchain infrastructure for merchant settlements.
Industry observers see this as a turning point, as fintech companies with billions in payment volume seek to bypass congestion and fees on existing public chains.
Other players are expected to follow, pushing the market toward corporate-controlled infrastructure.
For investors, this reflects two converging dynamics: stablecoin adoption is now large enough to justify billion-dollar infrastructure bets, and competition between corporate and decentralized networks is intensifying.
How these new blockchains attract developers, liquidity, and end-users will determine whether they rival existing ecosystems or simply complement them.
Either way, it’s clear that fintech is adopting crypto and rewriting the rules of its foundations.
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IPOs
Gemini Files for Nasdaq Listing After Circle’s IPO Momentum
Gemini, the crypto exchange founded by Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, has filed to go public on the Nasdaq in a move that follows the high-profile listings of Circle and Bullish earlier this year.
The filing marks a bid to capitalize on renewed investor demand for crypto equity plays, with Gemini aiming to strengthen its balance sheet and gain mainstream credibility.
The exchange has navigated regulatory challenges, including SEC scrutiny over its Earn program, which remains in litigation.
A successful listing would force Gemini into greater transparency but also give it access to deeper capital markets.
Analysts say the timing is strategic, aligning with strong token prices and a thaw in public market sentiment toward digital asset companies.
For investors, the IPO pipeline represents crypto’s next phase of normalization.
Exchanges and infrastructure firms are moving from venture-backed operations to listed equities accessible to pension funds and retail portfolios.
While regulatory risks remain, Gemini’s public debut could mark another milestone in bridging traditional finance with crypto.
Success could encourage other firms, from wallets to DeFi infrastructure, to follow the same path.
Coin Leaderboard
Crypto Pulse
Momentum is building again in key alternative assets, where security fixes, macro safe-haven flows, and regulatory tailwinds are driving renewed attention.
Here are three names to watch right now:
Monero (XMR) $265.92 (+1.35%)
XMR bounced back after miners neutralized a 51% attack attempt by Qubic, restoring confidence in the network.
Kraken also resumed deposits after pausing them during the scare, sending a signal of regained stability.
From a technical perspective, Monero rebounded from Fibonacci support at $233–$255, with RSI flipping out of oversold levels.
Volume jumped 34% in 24 hours, adding weight to the move. The next hurdle is $285, where a breakout could mark a real trend reversal.
PAX Gold (PAXG) $3,333.58 (+0.03%)
PAXG continues to reflect the push and pull of global gold markets. U.S. tariff headlines and Middle East tensions kept demand firm, while rival tokenized gold assets like Tether’s XAUt gained ground.
Daily trading volume surged 150%, showing heightened activity even as competition stiffens.
Macro uncertainty favors higher gold prices, but PAXG needs fresh DeFi integrations and broader listings to defend its share of the $19B tokenized gold market.
AB (AB) $0.009508 (+5.88%)
AB rallied nearly 6% after debuting on Kraken with USD and EUR pairs, boosting liquidity and institutional visibility.
The listing sparked a surge in trading volumes, while technical momentum indicators like RSI (67.9) and MACD confirmed bullish sentiment.
Ecosystem upgrades, including Solana wallet integration and the launch of AB Explorer, further reinforced long-term utility.
With price now above key Fibonacci support, a sustained close over $0.0093 could confirm a breakout, though profit-taking risk remains after its recent 90-day climb.
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Future Forward
In crypto, the biggest moves often start well before they make headlines. Market shifts can build quietly over days or weeks, driven by events already on the calendar.
Watching what’s ahead, from major conferences to token unlocks, can help spot opportunities before the crowd catches on.
Crypto Conferences:
💎 Wyoming Blockchain Symposium 2025 — Teton Village, U.S. (Aug 18, 2025)
💎 Fintech South 2025 — Atlanta, U.S. (Aug 19, 2025)
💎 AI WAQF Summit 2025 — Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (Aug 19, 2025)
Upcoming Airdrops:
🎁 VeChain (VET) Hayabusa Vote (Aug 18, 2025)
🎁 Qubic (QUBIC) Halving Event (Aug 20, 2025)
🎁 Ondo (ONDO) 1.94B Token Unlock (Jan 18, 2026)
Upcoming Token Launches:
🚀 Almanak (ALMANAK) IDO on Legion (Aug 21, 2025)
🚀 XorionChain (XOR) IDO on Huostarter (Aug 27, 2025)
🚀 UOMI (UOMI) IDO on Spores (Sep 6, 2025)
Which event are you most excited for? Let us know!
Crypto Know-How: What Are Tokenized Real-World Assets (RWAs) and Why Do They Matter?
Tokenized real-world assets (RWAs) are blockchain-based representations of physical assets like real estate, gold, or oil.
Instead of staying locked in traditional markets with high barriers to entry, these assets can be digitized, fractionalized, and traded on-chain, offering new access and liquidity for investors.
The process starts with legal structuring, where ownership of an asset is assigned to a trust or entity.
From there, a smart contract mints tokens that each represent a share of that ownership.
Those tokens are legally linked to the asset itself, enabling investors to buy, sell, and use them as collateral in decentralized finance (DeFi).
If the underlying asset is sold, proceeds are distributed automatically through smart contracts.
RWAs are already showing traction across multiple categories:
🏠 Real estate: Platforms like RealT and Propy sell fractional ownership of homes and buildings.
🛢️ Commodities: Paxos Gold (PAXG) issues tokens backed 1:1 by gold reserves.
🖼️ Art & collectibles: Companies like Masterworks and Savea tokenize fine art and rare items.
💳 On-chain lending: MakerDAO and Centrifuge allow RWAs to serve as collateral for loans.
For investors, RWAs bridge the gap between traditional finance and crypto.
They can unlock value from illiquid assets, enable global participation in markets like real estate or art, and create yield opportunities that were once limited to institutions.
Challenges remain, particularly around regulation, ownership rights, and compliance, but with over $10 billion already locked in RWA protocols, this is one of the fastest-growing trends in Web3.
If adoption continues, tokenized assets could become a cornerstone of blockchain-based finance, transforming the way people invest in tangible value.
Everything Else
Crypto funds saw $3.75B inflows as Ether ETFs set a trading record.
Adam Back’s firm is planning a $2.1B Bitcoin purchase that could rival Marathon’s holdings.
A golden cross failed to lift Dogecoin as sellers capped momentum.
Bitcoin could reach 150K this year, but Canary Capital warns Ethereum’s rally may fade.
Meme coin PepeTo raised $6.18M in presale as ETH eyes $10K.
That's our coverage for today; thanks for reading! Reply to this email with feedback or any cryptocurrencies you want me to check out.
Best Regards,
— Benjamin Vitaris
Crypto Intel