Stablecoins on Storm Eye: In 2025, the crypto world is redefined by regulation and sanctions According to BlockBeats, on January 12th, as we enter 2026, the main theme of the cryptocurrency industry has become clear: 2025 is no longer a year of speculation, but a year when regulation, infrastructure, and real applications are fully implemented. Matthias Bauer Langgartner, the head of European policy at Chainalysis, stated that stablecoins have become the core of this round of transformation. Although Bitcoin still accounts for about half of the market value, stablecoins have contributed over 50% of the world's on chain trading volume, deeply embedded in payment, remittance, and transaction systems, officially standing at the center stage of regulation and compliance. He bluntly stated, "2025 is the year of stablecoins Stablecoins are widely used in legal scenarios due to their strong liquidity and stable prices, but they are also exploited by illegal funds. But centralized issuers have the ability to freeze and destroy assets, making them a key tool for regulatory crackdown on financial crimes. According to Chainalysis data, the illegal flow of encrypted funds reached 154 billion US dollars in 2025, a year-on-year surge of 162%, with a significant increase in state actors and sanctions evasion activities. However, the related activities still account for less than 1% of the overall transaction volume of encryption. Analysis suggests that as regulatory frameworks such as MiCA enter the execution phase, stablecoins are becoming a key node connecting the cryptocurrency market, geopolitics, and financial regulation, and may continue to shape the core narrative of 2026.