At the end of last year, the first cryptocurrency surpassed the $100,000 mark for the first time in history. However, after a brief period of euphoria in early 2025, the market entered a correction phase.
Despite this, more and more countries are discussing the widespread adoption of digital assets and the creation of national Bitcoin reserves.
Meme tokens and AI projects: at the intersection of speculation and innovation
One of the brightest phenomena of the beginning of the year was the launch and rapid growth of meme tokens related to Donald Trump and his family. The tokens TRUMP and MELANIA made some holders millionaires in just a few hours.
“However, these tokens have no real value to the market and serve primarily the interests of individuals and their entourage,” says Gracie Chen.
In her opinion, AI tokens are more promising. The developers of these projects create agents capable of learning from the decisions of real traders, which can improve the quality of market analysis and eventually replace “outdated” trading bots.
“AI tokens are an exciting combination of technology and finance. Projects like SingularityNET and Ocean Protocol show how AI can empower blockchain. At the same time, it is important for investors to carefully analyze the technology behind these tokens, the real-world scenarios of their application and the competence of the teams,” Gracie Chen emphasized.
On hacking and manipulation
One of the most high-profile events of the first quarter of 2025 was the largest hack in the history of the crypto industry, which resulted in exchange Bybit losing $1.5 billion in Ethereum (ETH). Notably, Bitget was one of the first to react to the incident – the trading platform transferred 40,000 ETH to support its competitor’s liquidity.
Two projects have also been in the spotlight due to liquidity manipulation. The Jelly token, issued on Hyperliquid’s platform, was manipulated by a large investor, resulting in a significant price increase. Despite activating protective mechanisms, Hyperliquid was unable to stabilize the situation, resulting in losses.
“This case showed the vulnerabilities in liquidity management in the crypto industry. At Bitget, we always emphasize maintaining robust liquidity reserves and transparency in risk management to protect users’ interests even in the face of market volatility,” commented Gracie Chen.
The second suspicious case involves the token of RWA project Mantra (OM). Liquidity manipulation led to a sharp rise in price, followed by a a 90% drop.
“This may be due to highly concentrated token ownership and lack of transparency in management. Data shows that millions of OM have been moved to exchanges, indicating an insider token dump,” the Bitget CEO explained.
In late April, Bitget also accused eight traders of manipulating the Voxie Tactics (VOXEL) game token. According to Xie Jiayin, head of the exchange’s China division, the incident linked accounts received a total of $20 million on April 20. He also promised that users would be compensated in full.
In late April, Bitget also accused eight traders of manipulating the Voxie Tactics (VOXEL) game token. According to Xie Jiayin, head of the exchange’s China division, the incident linked accounts received a total of $20 million on April 20. He also promised that users would be compensated in full.
How to survive a bear market
Gracie Chen estimates that the bearish trend may last until September-October 2025, occasionally showing short-term growth impulses. In order to survive this phase without major losses, it is important to reconsider investment approaches.
“In a bear market, defensive assets like stablecoins and tokenized gold perform best. Diversification among such assets will help reduce risk and preserve capital until the market recovers,” said Gracie Chen.
The CEO of Bitget pays special attention to tokenized gold:
“Tokenizing gold – for example, through PAX Gold or Tether Gold – allows investors to hedge market risk. Unlike traditional investments, such tokens are backed by physical gold, but remain liquid and easily divisible.”
Trends of the near future
Gracie Chen highlighted five major trends that will shape the development of the cryptocurrency market in the near future:
- Development of regulatory frameworks.The European Union already has rules for cryptoassets under MiCa, which is helping cryptocurrencies to be recognized globally. The U.S. is considering creating a bitcoin reserve, following the example of El Salvador.
- Framing tax regimes. More and more countries are imposing taxes on profits from digital asset transactions.
- Strengthening security measures. Cryptocurrencies continue to face hacking threats. New defense mechanisms using AI are expected to be introduced.
- Creation of state bitcoin reserves. Discussing the creation of a bitcoin reserve in the U.S. could be an important step toward state-level adoption of the cryptocurrency.
- Continuation of bear market. The bearish trend will continue until around the fourth quarter of 2025, with bitcoin not falling below $73,000.
Conclusion
Despite the current correction, the crypto market is moving towards greater acceptance and institutionalization. Meme tokens continue to attract investor interest, but according to the CEO of Bitget, the future of the industry lies in real technological solutions, primarily in the field of AI.
Gracie Chen predicts that the bearish trend will last until about the fourth quarter of 2025. In such an environment, investors should look at defensive assets and diversify their portfolios. In parallel, regulatory certainty is increasing, which should contribute to more sustainable market growth in the long term.
Source: https://coinpaper.com/8934/ceo-of-bitget-bear-market-could-last-until-september-october-2025