Sui execs: 2025 sparked institutional crypto surge; tokenization and AI commerce next
Sui Group Holdings CIO Stephen Mackintosh and Mysten Labs CEO Evan Cheng said institutional demand for crypto surged in 2025, driven by spot-Bitcoin ETF flows, growth of digital asset treasury (DAT) products and major trading firms entering the market. Mackintosh called 2025 a “landmark year for institutional adoption,” citing record options volumes and new participation from firms such as Citadel and Jane Street. Both executives highlighted tokenization, stablecoins and instant on-chain settlement (T+0) as key trends that could blur lines between TradFi and DeFi. Cheng said tokenized assets enable immediate collateralization and on-chain strategies layered on traditional exposures; ETFs may start conservative but could evolve to include yield or on-chain mechanics. They positioned Sui’s low-latency, high-throughput infrastructure and composable tooling as differentiated for use cases like agentic commerce — the intersection of AI and on-chain transactions. The executives’ comments signal stronger institutional infrastructure investment and a potential shift toward tokenized, instant-settlement financial products.
Bullish
The executives describe structural drivers that tend to support longer-term demand: spot-Bitcoin ETF inflows, growth of DATs, and major market-makers entering crypto increase capital, liquidity and legitimacy. Tokenization and T+0 settlement lower frictions between TradFi and DeFi and create new on-chain use cases (collateralization, yield layering, instant settlement) that can attract institutional assets. Sui positioning—low latency, high throughput, composability—targets these institutional use cases, which could boost demand for infrastructure and associated tokens. Historically, major institutional on-ramps (e.g., ETF approvals, custody adoption) produced sustained positive flows and improved market depth, which supports prices and reduces volatility over time. Short term the market may remain sensitive to macro sentiment and spot volatility, so immediate price moves could be mixed; medium-to-long-term this news is bullish because it signals growing institutional allocation, higher volume, and continued infrastructure investment that underpin market expansion.