Crypto prices are set to get a boost in the fourth quarter from new legislation, stablecoins, and a wave of exchange-traded products (ETPs), analysts told Cointelegraph, following a quarter dominated by digital treasury-linked assets.
In a Thursday report, Grayscale’s research team highlighted that the US CLARITY Act — described as “comprehensive financial services legislation” — could serve as a major driver for deeper ties between crypto and traditional finance.
At the same time, the Securities and Exchange Commission’s approval of a broad listing standard for commodity-based ETPs could unlock further inflows by expanding the range of crypto assets available to US investors.
The researchers also noted that crypto markets stand to benefit from Federal Reserve rate cuts, with the Fed lowering rates on Sept. 17 for the first time since last year and leaving the door open for additional cuts.
Still, not everyone is convinced. JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon argued this week that more cuts may prove difficult unless inflation eases significantly.
Stablecoin networks poised to shine in Q4
Edward Carroll, head of markets at crypto and blockchain investment firm MHC Digital Group, told Cointelegraph he sees stablecoin expansion as a major catalyst for crypto returns this quarter.
The GENIUS Act, signed into law by US President Donald Trump in July, seeks to establish clear rules for payment stablecoins. While the framework is awaiting final regulations, Carroll noted that the legislation should be a long-term positive for chains supporting stablecoin activity — including Ethereum, Solana, Tron, BNB Chain, and Ethereum layer-2s — as well as for the firms building products around them.
He added that institutional tokenization efforts are also set to gain momentum, with bigger players moving into tokenized money market funds, bank deposits, and ETFs.
Bitcoin and altcoins may see a strong Q4 as well
Pav Hundal, lead analyst at Australian crypto broker Swyftx, said more capital is flowing into the market via funds and automated contributions, and expects a year-end Bitcoin rally to ignite an altcoin upswing.
Citing a report from financial services firm River, Hundal noted ETFs have been absorbing roughly 1,755 Bitcoin per day on average in 2025.
“Unless something unexpected derails the market, Bitcoin is likely to set new highs before year-end — and that momentum will carry altcoins higher,” he said.
“It’s been a rotational market for all of 2025, with alt coins performing well after an initial Bitcoin rally. I don’t see any reason for that pattern to change now. The top performers during rotations have been memecoins and DeFi applications like Pump.fun, Hyperliquid and Aster.”
Hundal noted that last quarter was defined by US-listed firms shifting to digital asset treasuries, with Ether, Solana, and Hype standing out as the strongest performers in recent months.
DeFi projects may also come out on top
Henrik Andersson, chief investment officer at Apollo Crypto, told Cointelegraph he anticipates Q4 will bring US approvals for ETFs — including those tied to staked assets — alongside the passage of the CLARITY Act.
“On a sector basis, we believe revenue-generating projects in DeFi will continue to perform very well. Stablecoins and RWA will very likely continue to be major themes overall.”
However, he cautioned that “rate cut expectations in the US could fall short, as the economy and labor market appear stronger than the Fed initially anticipated when it moved to lower rates.”
Looking back at last quarter, Andersson pointed to Hyperliquid and Pump buybacks as major market drivers, alongside the growing trend of companies adopting digital asset treasuries.
