This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by Shalom Guillermo
Introduction
Crypto in 2025 isn’t just about speculation anymore. With regulations like MiCA in the EU and the GENIUS Act in the US, the industry is shifting toward utility, compliance, and infrastructure.
For developers, this is an exciting time: stablecoins and tokenized real-world assets (RWAs) are creating new opportunities to build applications that bridge the gap between traditional finance and decentralized systems.
1. Stablecoins Are Becoming Developer-Friendly
Stablecoins like USDC, USDT, and upcoming regulated issuers are no longer “wild west” tokens. The GENIUS Act now requires stablecoins to be backed by safe reserves and audited.
What this means for devs:
APIs and SDKs are emerging to make fiat-to-stablecoin rails more accessible.
Transaction settlement is faster, with lower volatility risk.
You can now design cross-border payment flows without relying entirely on traditional banks.
2. Tokenized Assets = Real-World Value On-Chain
Tokenization of RWAs is set to unlock trillions in value by the end of the decade. Think real estate, bonds, carbon credits, and even invoices represented as blockchain tokens.
Developer impact:
Smart contracts can enforce ownership, transfers, and compliance rules.
Token standards (ERC-1400, ERC-3643) are evolving to support regulated assets.
Secondary markets for liquidity are emerging—meaning more APIs and DeFi integrations to build on top of.
3. Infrastructure Players Matter More Than Ever
While building, one challenge remains: connecting blockchain rails with global payments infrastructure. That’s where companies like Thunes come into play.
They specialize in cross-border payment APIs that integrate with multiple local payment systems.
As stablecoins and tokenized assets gain traction, having a bridge between Web3 and fiat rails will be crucial.
For devs, this means you don’t need to reinvent compliance-heavy infrastructure—you can plug into it.
4. Practical Tips for Devs Building in 2025
Stablecoin Apps Use regulated issuers’ APIs (USDC, EURC) for compliance-ready apps.
Tokenization Explore standards like ERC-3643 for security tokens.
Cross-Border Payments Consider infrastructure providers to simplify local payouts.
Regulation Bake KYC/AML flows into your product early—it’s becoming mandatory.
Scalability Experiment with L2s like Base, zkSync, or Polygon CDK for cost-effective deployments.
Crypto in 2025 is about building real-world applications. Stablecoins provide stability and compliance, tokenized assets bring real-world utility, and infrastructure players like Thunes help connect it all to global finance.
For developers, this is your chance to move beyond “just DeFi” and build apps that real businesses, institutions, and users will rely on every day.
The future of finance isn’t just decentralized—it’s interconnected, and the code you write today could be part of that backbone.
This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by Shalom Guillermo