Crypto Wallets in 2025: Evolving from Digital Purses to New Economic Infrastructure

Initially, crypto wallets, conceived as digital safes for assets, have continually evolved with the rise of cryptocurrencies. As digital payments become increasingly integrated into daily life, we witness significant innovations in crypto wallet design. These include integration with DeFi and CBDCs, biometric authentication, cross-platform interoperability, and asset tokenization. Such advancements are defining the future trajectory of crypto wallet development, unlocking a wealth of new opportunities for cryptocurrency holders.

Key Takeaways:

In 2025, adoption of Bitcoin and Ethereum through crypto wallets continues to grow, fueled especially by the expanding popularity of stablecoins and NFTs.
The trend of “Programmable Money,” or digital currencies embedded with programmable conditions, is gaining practical momentum across multiple countries, including Thailand.
Global digital wallet providers are transforming wallets beyond simple storage tools into dynamic, programmable platforms closely integrated with business operations.
Noteworthy crypto wallet examples include Rubie Wallet (Thailand), Fireblocks (enterprise infrastructure), MetaMask Institutional (suited for organizations), and widely used options like Trust Wallet, Coinbase Wallet, and Binance Wallet.
The direction for wallets this year is shifting from being a “Store of Value” to a “Tool for Digital Utility.”

2025 Crypto Wallet Trends

Regarding the change in the number of crypto wallets in 2025, major coins like Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) saw significant increases, while others varied (Source: CryptoNewsLand):

Bitcoin increased by 102,000 wallets, indicating continued strong interest.
Ethereum increased by more than Bitcoin, adding 645,000 wallets, potentially due to increased use of decentralized applications (dApps) and smart contracts on Ethereum.
XRP and Dogecoin also saw increases, with XRP adding 58,000 wallets and Dogecoin adding 29,000 wallets.
Cardano experienced a slight increase of 2,800 wallets.
Chainlink conversely, saw a decrease of 3,300 wallets, possibly due to shifting user interest based on market conditions.

Crypto Wallets: Moving Beyond Simple Coin Storage

In 2025, the crypto world is clearly moving closer to real-life integration. The role of crypto wallets is evolving significantly beyond just “storing coins” to becoming the starting point for genuine digital currency use in daily life.

Previously viewed merely as “coin storage” for investors or crypto enthusiasts, this perception is changing markedly in 2025. Data from CryptoNewsLand indicates wallets are among the fastest-growing products in the crypto ecosystem, driven by:

Widespread use of Stablecoins.
The growth of NFTs and the Creator Economy.
Demand for using digital currency in everyday life.

Wallet technology now extends beyond simple sending and receiving. New capabilities include programmable transfers, permissioned wallets for organizational control, and secure, bank-grade multi-signature functionality.

A key example is using stablecoins like USDC or a potential Thai Baht digital token (THB digital token) for money transfers, payments, and connecting to various financial services in the Web3 world. A significant driver of this change is the emergence of “Programmable Stablecoins” – digital currencies where usage conditions (like recipient restrictions or time limits) can be preset. This greatly expands the scope and flexibility of crypto wallet applications beyond previous limitations.

The adoption of Programmable Money is accelerating globally, with numerous experiments designed to enhance payment efficiency, lower transaction costs, and boost transparency. Thailand is actively engaging in these innovative initiatives.

Thailand Begins Experimenting with Programmable Payments

The Bank of Thailand (BOT) has launched pilot projects for “Programmable Payment” under its Enhanced Regulatory Sandbox framework, collaborating with organizations like SCB 10X, Bitkub, and TrueMoney to test various services:

Tourist Wallet: A digital wallet for foreign tourists to make payments via QR Code at participating merchants. Merchants receive the funds in Thai Baht directly into their accounts.
Escrow Payment: A system for conditional payments, such as for freelance work or purchasing goods/services, using smart contracts to release funds only when conditions are met.
Asset Tokenization: Utilizing digital currency for trading digital assets like NFTs, Investment Tokens, and Utility Tokens.

Other countries are also advancing Programmable Payments:

China: Has conducted extensive trials of its central bank digital currency (CBDC), the e-CNY, across multiple cities and scenarios, including retail payments, transportation fares, and digital currency distributions to citizens to boost spending and test the system (Source: Reuters).
Singapore: Is experimenting with “Purpose-Bound Money (PBM)” through a collaboration between DBS Bank and Open Government Products (OGP). PBM allows digital money to be designated for specific uses, like digital vouchers valid only at certain stores, using blockchain and smart contracts for control and transparency (Source: DBS Bank).

Examples of Crypto Wallet Technologies Driving the Digital Asset World

Rubie Wallet:

Developed by SCB 10X with several partners and supported by SCB, representing a significant step in the Thai crypto scene and a key starting point for real-world stablecoin usage in Thailand.
It facilitates real-time conversion of US dollar stablecoins to Thai Baht at regulated exchange rates.
Rubie utilizes Fireblocks' Wallet-as-a-Service infrastructure on the Base Blockchain, supporting programmable stablecoins with defined usage conditions (e.g., restricted geographical areas or timeframes).
Rubie Wallet was piloted with foreign tourists attending the Devcon event in Bangkok in 2024, operating under the Regulatory Sandbox of the Bank of Thailand (BOT) and the Thai Securities and Exchange Commission (Thai SEC).

Fireblocks Wallet-as-a-Service:

An enterprise platform for building institutional-grade wallets, noted for its advanced security controls, making it suitable for banks and financial startups. (See Fireblocks website for more details on Wallet-as-a-Service).

MetaMask Institutional:

An evolution of the popular DeFi wallet, tailored for organizational needs, supporting internal governance, enhancing transparency, and facilitating regulatory compliance.

Widely Used Wallets (Trust Wallet / Coinbase Wallet / Binance / Gemini / Ledger): These wallets play a crucial role in driving widespread crypto adoption:

They are well-known digital wallets for general users within the crypto space, essential for achieving mass adoption due to their ease of use, security, and support for multiple networks. This simplifies access and usability for everyday users.

Trust Wallet: Popular globally for its user-friendly design, support for a wide range of digital assets, and high security.
Coinbase Wallet: Focuses on a seamless user experience with multi-blockchain support and integration with various DeFi applications (Source: TechStory).
Binance Wallet: A keyless wallet employing Multi-Party Computation (MPC) technology, enabling users to manage digital assets securely and easily without needing to memorize seed phrases (Source: Binance).
Gemini Wallet: Offers high-level security features, including industry security certifications and insurance coverage for hot wallets (Source: Gemini).
Ledger Wallet: A highly secure hardware wallet supporting over 5,500 digital assets, offering various connectivity options like Bluetooth and NFC for convenient and secure asset management (Source: Ledger).

These wallets are instrumental in lowering the barrier to entry for cryptocurrencies and promoting broader usage through improved user experiences, robust security, and support for emerging technologies – key steps in bringing crypto into the mainstream digital economy.

Could Crypto Wallets Become the Financial 'Super Apps' of the Future?

In the coming years, Crypto Wallets could evolve into the true heart of digital finance, going beyond asset storage to enable diverse applications, such as:

Receiving salaries via Stablecoins.
Integrating banking and Web3 services within a single app.
Supporting new asset types like Carbon Credits, Digital Bonds, and Loyalty Tokens.
Operating under clearer legal frameworks (e.g., Sandboxes and Licensing).
This evolution makes them increasingly attractive tools for the banking sector. For instance, SCB 10X's launch of Rubie Wallet for programmable stablecoins shows traditional financial institutions adapting to the digital asset world and recognizing opportunities to develop new financial services using this technology.

The crucial question remains: Who will seize this opportunity first – traditional banks undergoing adaptation, or native Web3 players already established in the crypto space?

What Signals Should We Watch?

Look Beyond Just the Coins: In this era of rapid wallet evolution, investors and users should look deeper than coin prices. Ask: Who is building which type of wallet? What technology are they using? Which user group do they target? The underlying infrastructure and technology will shape the market long-term, informing decisions on which platforms to use or support.
Stablecoin Infrastructure as the Foundation: This could become the bedrock of the new economy. Those who design and control stablecoin wallet systems first will be like the “gatekeepers” of the digital finance era, similar to how banks control payment systems in the traditional world.
Security and Regulation are Crucial: In a risk-filled financial world, providers with robust security and strong regulatory compliance will build greater trust, especially with organizations and institutional investors.
Don't Overlook ‘Thai Wallets’: The case of Rubie Wallet by SCB 10X demonstrates that Thailand is a contender, developing wallets supporting programmable money on world-class technology (Fireblocks) within a proper regulatory framework.

Conclusion

In 2025, it may represent a pivotal moment for crypto wallets, marking their evolution from mere trading instruments into essential components of a transformed financial landscape. These wallets are increasingly enabling real-world payments, value storage, and embedded programmable business logic. Both private and public sectors are actively collaborating and clearly guiding this shift, positioning crypto wallets as fundamental economic infrastructure for the future.

-------------------------------------

Sources: