Since the last market cycle, the conversation in Europe has shifted from speculation to structure. While the “crypto winter” tested resilience, it also forged a stronger and more mature ecosystem. 2024 was the year builders kept building; 2025 is the year their infrastructure began powering the real economy.

Europe has emerged as a global standard setter for regulation and innovation. With MiCA providing regulatory clarity and institutional adoption accelerating, we are witnessing a new era of digital assets defined not by hype, but by utility. From compliant DeFi to stablecoin payments and institutional-grade custody, the building blocks of the future financial system are being laid across the region.

2025 marks a decisive turnaround for the broader cryptocurrency sector in EMEA, with $8.6 billion raised, more than 3.5 times year over year, including the funding rounds of Binance and Revolut, according to PitchBook data. This mirrors the momentum of the global cryptocurrency landscape, with institutional capital and adoption continuing to accelerate.

At Speedinvest, we have been investing in crypto and Web3 from pre-seed to pre-IPO for over seven years. Our journey began with our early backing of Bitpanda at a time when crypto was far from mainstream. Since then, we have continued to support founders building the financial and technical infrastructure that now underpins much of the industry. Many of these teams, including Flowdesk, Deblock, One Trading, Fiat Republic, Tranched, Due, and Eunice, have played a significant role in shaping the evolution of the EMEA ecosystem throughout 2025.

Crypto Investment Thesis 2025

As we look ahead, our strategy is anchored in three core convictions that we believe will define the future of digital assets:

1. The Convergence of DeFi and TradFi

DeFi is transitioning from an experimental parallel system into the regulated backend for global finance. Driven by regulatory clarity (e.g., MiCA) and institutional demand, crypto is entering a "production-grade" era. In this phase, DeFi protocols serve as the infrastructure for TradFi, enabling regulated capital to settle on-chain safely.

2. Programmable Money & Real-World Assets (RWAs)

Digital money is moving beyond simple transfer to full programmability. Stablecoins, tokenized deposits, and RWAs enable automatic settlement, fees, and credit logic execution at the protocol layer. This shift drives durable, non-speculative yield and makes programmable efficiency the core value driver of the financial system.

3. Compliance & Interoperability as the Core Stack

For institutions to scale on-chain, compliance must be embedded directly into the infrastructure. Middleware that handles identity (KYC/AML), transaction screening, and cross-chain interoperability is no longer optional—it is the essential connective tissue that allows institutions to access liquidity without compromising auditability or security.

Introducing The Speedinvest Crypto 50 EMEA

We are thrilled to unveil our inaugural Crypto 50 EMEA list.

With thousands of projects launching across the continent, we have selected 50 companies that represent the most promising innovations from early to late-stage in the region. These are not just tokens on a chart; they are software companies solving complex problems.

This market map reflects Speedinvest’s independent analysis of privately held EMEA crypto companies under $5 billion in valuation that have raised at least $5 million in funding. Selected based on recent venture funding, commercial traction and proprietary signals gathered through ongoing research and engagement with founders, operators, and industry peers. 

Meet the founders defining the next decade of digital assets.