The crypto market in 2025 showed a clear divide between sectors that attracted sustained capital inflows and those that struggled to maintain momentum.
As investors prioritized utility, regulatory clarity, and long-term adoption, performance varied sharply across narratives. Below is a breakdown of how major crypto sectors ranked in 2025, along with what these trends could signal heading into 2026.
RWA, Layer-1, and “Made in the U.S.” Tokens Lead 2025 Gainers
A recent report by CoinGecko showed that the real-world asset (RWA) tokenization sector led the pack among the most successful crypto narratives in 2025.
According to CoinGecko, the RWA market led with a yearly return of 185.6% and the superb performance was driven by the success of some platforms within the sector, including the Keeta network, which saw a YTD of 1,794.9%.
Meanwhile, following closely was the Layer-1 (L1) sector, which saw a YTD growth of 80.3%. These gains were largely attributed to the success of L1 networks like Zcash, which rallied 691.3% and Monero, which saw a 143.6% return in the same period.
However, other top gainers that contributed to the sector’s profitability include Tron, Bitcoin Cash, and BNB. Finally, the Made In USA sector clinched the third spot, recording a 30.62% YTD.
The sector’s growth is driven by the increasing regulatory discussions in the United States, which reduce uncertainty and boost confidence in compliant, domestically aligned platforms. Together, these sectors dominated the leaderboard and set the tone for the broader market.
DePIN and Gaming Tokens Lead the List of 2025 Losers
Meanwhile, CoinGecko’s report also outlined Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Networks (DePIN) and blockchain gaming narratives as the weakest sectors in 2025.
Despite strong early narratives, the DePIN sector posted a 76.7% YTD dip. This could be pinned on the fact that many DePIN projects struggled to translate real-world infrastructure ambitions into scalable adoption and sustainable revenue, leading to waning investor enthusiasm.
Gaming niche, on the other hand, saw a 75.2% YTD loss with the largest crypto gaming tokens dipping by 40.1% to 92.5% within this period. Meanwhile, other top losers include the Solana ecosystem, which posted a 64.17% loss, Decentralized Exchange (DEX), which recorded a 55.53% YTD loss, and Artificial Intelligence (AI), which saw a 50.18% dip year to date.
What to Expect From Crypto Sectors in 2026
As the market moves into 2026, analysts expect Layer-1 and RWA sectors to remain central themes, especially since they are the only narratives to mark a second consecutive year of profit among the major narratives.
Made-in-the-USA projects could see further upside if compliance and regulatory frameworks, including the Crypto CLARITY Act, solidify.
Meanwhile, DePIN and gaming sectors may attempt a selective recovery, with only projects demonstrating real adoption and clear monetization likely to outperform. Overall, 2026 is expected to favor fundamentals over hype.
The CoinRemark Team
