Welcome to "Crypto Week." With Two Cryptocurrency-Focused Bills in the House This Week, Is The Industry Officially Mainstream?

Key Points

• Lawmakers are pushing through legislation that could give the crypto industry a solid leg up.

• Increased adoption is crucial for crypto to go mainstream.

• Pay attention to how people use digital assets and how they integrate with existing businesses.

• 10 stocks we like better than Bitcoin ›

Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) broke the $120,000 barrier on Monday, July 14, as what's been dubbed "Crypto Week" kicked off in Washington D.C. Ethereum (CRYPTO: ETH) pushed above $3,000 for the first time since February. And crypto's total market cap reached a new high of over $3.8 trillion. As CoinTelegraph points out, that's close to the UK's GDP.

What's driving the increase? In part, it was optimism about regulatory change. The House had planned to discuss three crypto bills between July 14 and 18. The GENIUS Act, designed to regulate stablecoins, the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act (Clarity Act), which sets clear definitions of what a security, cryptocurrency, or stablecoin is, and a No CBDC Act, which would essentially prevent the Fed from launching a digital dollar.

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In reality, Crypto Week fizzled on Tuesday after failing to get enough votes in the House to move to debate. Nonetheless, the very fact that these legislative changes are on the table and have progressed so far, so quickly raises the question of whether the industry is now officially mainstream.

Image source: Getty Images.

Are digital assets now mainstream?

Cryptocurrencies have taken center stage in 2025, not least because of the surging total market cap and shift in government attitudes. However, neither price action nor political discourse translates into going mainstream. That depends on widespread adoption, not only in financial systems but also in other businesses.

Legislative progress would certainly help utilization, but it won't drive it alone. Here are some other indicators for long-term investors to watch.

Increased use of stablecoins

Stablecoins are cryptos that are pegged to real-world assets, such as the U.S. dollar. If passed, the GENIUS Act would give regulatory clarity to this industry, particularly around reserves, audits, and know-your-customer rules. It may well be the springboard for banks, merchants, fintechs, and even retailers to issue their own coins.

If it becomes cheaper for a consumer to shop using an Amazon or Walmart stablecoin, that could be a game-changer in terms of adoption. A flourishing and dependable stablecoin industry could also give consumers in unstable economies an easier way to access dollars, increasing the use of digital assets around the world. That, in turn, could be significant for smart contract cryptos like Ethereum and Solana (CRYPTO: SOL).

Global remittance adoption

One of the attractions of blockchain technology is that users can make fast, low-cost transactions. If you've ever paid fees and waited days for an international money transfer, you'll understand how crypto -- particularly stablecoins -- could disrupt the global remittance industry. Precedence Research values that market at almost $30 billion in 2025 and predicts it could grow to over $100 billion by 2034.

It's important to pay attention to how crypto gets incorporated into the market. For example, PayPal (NASDAQ: PYPL) launched its own stablecoin that's built on the Ethereum network. MoneyGram is partnering with Stellar (CRYPTO: XLM). International payments may well take crypto mainstream, particularly if stablecoin legislation gets passed. But it's likely that this will happen through existing players working with crypto projects rather than individual cryptocurrencies shaking up the industry.

Real-world use cases for crypto

If the Clarity Act does become law, it would remove some of the regulatory uncertainty that's been holding the crypto industry back. But the legal situation is only one part of the puzzle, and the risk is that it opens the door to more investment without necessarily increasing adoption.

Crypto may have become part of many portfolios, but few of us use digital assets on a regular basis. Recent Motley Fool research shows that more than one in five Americans own crypto, but around a quarter of them have limited understanding of how it works. That needs to change.

Don't only pay attention only to prices, look at how people use the technology. Increased adoption will take trust, technological development, and improved usability. For example, companies have been exploring things like smart contract insurance policies, blockchain-based tokenized real estate deals, and web3 gaming, but they are not yet the norm.

Whether Bitcoin can consolidate its position as digital gold

Bitcoin has shown remarkable resilience in recent months. While tariff uncertainty and geopolitical tensions have shaken equity markets, the lead crypto has gained almost 70% since before the election.

Much has been said about its potential as a hedge against inflation and a store of value, but that hasn't always been borne out by its price. For example, when U.S. inflation was high in 2021 and 2022, Bitcoin was too volatile to act as a safe haven asset.

That's changed this year. In part because spot Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs have made it easier for institutions to invest. According to Bitcoin Treasuries, there's over $150 billion in assets under management with spot Bitcoin ETFs at the time of writing. Increased institutional capital tends to bring more stability as well as more cash from asset managers, hedge funds, pension funds, and more.

What matters now is whether Bitcoin can hold steady, particularly if the economy falters. Seven months of good performance does not make it digital gold.

Shifting streams

The cryptocurrency industry is growing up, but it still has a way to go -- and a clear regulatory framework could help it get there. That was demonstrated by the spike in prices when investors thought this would be the week that the U.S. passed its first serious crypto legislation.

However, it is going to take time, even with a crypto-friendly administration in power. And once legislation passes, we still need to see increased adoption before this can be considered anything close to a mainstream asset. In the meantime, continue to treat crypto as a risky asset and limit your exposure accordingly.

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Emma Newbery has positions in Ethereum and Solana. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Bitcoin, Ethereum, PayPal, and Solana. The Motley Fool recommends the following options: long January 2027 $42.50 calls on PayPal and short June 2025 $77.50 calls on PayPal. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.