Returns on major digital assets such as Bitcoin have not outperformed other asset classes like equities and gold so far this year. Although the cryptocurrency market is expanding—led by stablecoins amid a U.S.-driven trend toward regulatory easing—high volatility continues to weigh on performance. Despite the perceived difficulty of “crypto investing,” investor enthusiasm at Herald Money Festa 2025 extended strongly into digital assets.

At the two-day event held on the 16th–17th, lectures on digital assets were delivered by Tae-min Oh, an adjunct professor of Bitcoin Monetary Philosophy at Hanyang University and a leading domestic crypto pioneer; Moon-chang Choi, Executive Director of the Global Planning Team at YouthMeta, a price forecasting platform; and Jong-hyup Kim, CEO of Parameta. The sessions explored trends, outlooks, and investment strategies surrounding Bitcoin—the flagship digital asset—and stablecoins, which are driving broader market adoption.

Professor Oh described Bitcoin as “a phenomenon tied to the international order.” He noted, “President Trump is pursuing high tariffs, a weak dollar, low interest rates, and low oil prices,” adding that high tariffs could fuel inflation and force interest rate hikes, creating a policy contradiction. Stablecoins, he argued, offer a solution—particularly as U.S. interest payments on government bonds have surpassed defense spending since last year. “Stablecoins help reduce the United States’ growing burden of bond interest,” he said.

Oh also highlighted the growing institutional adoption of Bitcoin as a key development. Harvard University recently purchased $116 million worth of spot Bitcoin ETFs. The United States has eased access to alternative assets within 401(k) retirement plans to include cryptocurrencies, while Luxembourg became the first eurozone sovereign wealth fund to add Bitcoin ETFs. “This means Bitcoin has entered the mainstream,” Oh said, projecting that “once multinational Big Tech firms begin holding Bitcoin, the halving cycle could disappear.”

Various investment strategies using stablecoins were also presented. Kim noted, “Stablecoins will appeal to investors seeking returns higher than deposit rates while controlling risk.” Depositing dollar-pegged stablecoins on overseas exchanges can yield annual returns of 4–5%, and participating in lending or liquidity provision using those deposits as collateral can generate additional income.

Kim described “interest farming,” a compounding strategy that reinvests interest to pursue higher returns. “Staking Ethereum on the crypto lending platform Aave yields about 4.7%,” he said. “By borrowing other coins at 2.4% using that as collateral and redepositing them at 3.3%, investors can capture a 0.5% spread.” Repeating this lending-and-redeposit structure can potentially achieve returns of up to 15%, he added.

Predictive platforms that lower the barrier to entry also drew attention. YouthMeta uses machine learning–based forecasting models to analyze historical price patterns and score recurring movements. The platform conducts real-time monitoring of pending exchange orders, liquidation level distributions, and flows from “whale” wallets—large investors—integrating these signals to indicate bullish or bearish trends. Reported price accuracy ranges from 70% to 80%.

Choi said, “Cryptocurrencies have firmly established themselves as a new form of currency and asset class. While institutional adoption and capital inflows are expanding, information asymmetry and volatility remain.” He added, “Minimizing risk requires AI backed by long-term data, working alongside experts with accumulated experience.”

By Yoo Dong-hyun, No Ah-reum, Kim Yoo-jin, Jung Ho-won, and Kyung Ye-eun