Bitcoin adoption has surged among institutions, banks, and public companies in 2025, despite a recent price drop. River reported that institutions acquired 829,000 BTC last year, with registered investment advisors investing $1.5 billion in Bitcoin ETFs quarterly. Additionally, 60% of top US banks are developing Bitcoin products.

Merchant adoption of Bitcoin has also increased significantly, with a tripling of US businesses accepting Bitcoin for payments. Global usage grew by 74% in 2025, while Bitcoin payments on the Lightning Network surged by 300%. Five nation-states, including Luxembourg and Saudi Arabia, purchased Bitcoin last year.

Bitcoin volatility is declining, approaching levels seen in gold and the S&P 500, indicating maturity as an asset class. River believes that decreasing volatility will attract more risk-averse investors and larger pools of capital. Bitcoin is viewed as a trustworthy, scarce, and uncorruptible form of digital money, with adoption expected to accelerate in the coming years.

Read more at Cointelegraph: Bitcoin Adoption Hit Record Highs in 2025, Says River