What are virtual currencies? Trends and the future of bitcoin in 2025

July 15, 2025

The financial world is undergoing a real revolution, and its protagonist has its own name: bitcoin. But what are virtual currencies really and why are they on everyone’s lips?

Imagine for a moment that money, as you know it, had a distant cousin, a digital globetrotter that does not live in a bank, travels the world at the speed of light and is governed by its own rules. This cousin is neither paper nor metal, it is pure information. Sounds like science fiction, doesn’t it? Well, welcome to the fascinating world of virtual currencies, a financial revolution that is knocking on the door of the present with the force of a hurricane.

On this journey, we will demystify what exactly these “magical internet currencies” are, why everyone is talking about them and, most importantly, what we can expect as soon as 2025. Buckle up, because the future of money is anything but boring.

What is a virtual currency? Debunking the myth

Let’s start at the beginning, without any technicalities that might cause us to short-circuit. A virtual currency (or cryptocurrency) is, in essence, digital money. Unlike the euro or the dollar in your bank account – which is also digital but controlled by a central bank – virtual currencies are decentralised.

“Wait a minute!”, you say. “Decentralised? What does that mean?

It means that there is no central authority, such as a government or a bank, issuing them, controlling them or validating transactions. Instead, it’s all powered by a revolutionary technology called blockchain.

Imagine a public ledger shared by thousands of computers around the world. Every time someone makes a transaction (e.g. sends you a virtual currency), that transaction is recorded in a “block”. This block is linked to the previous one, forming an unbreakable, chronological chain. The great thing about this is that once a block is added to the chain, it is virtually impossible to modify or forge. It’s like having thousands of notaries watching every move at once.

This technology is what gives virtual currencies their superpowers:

Security: Cryptography (hence the name “cryptocurrency”) makes transactions extremely secure.
Transparency: Although your identity can be anonymous, all transactions are visible on the blockchain.
Globality: They do not understand borders. Sending money from Madrid to Tokyo is as easy and quick as sending an email.
Financial access for all: For many unbanked people, virtual currencies represent a real opportunity for financial inclusion.

There are three main categories you should be aware of:

Private virtual currencies, such as those used in video games or closed platforms.
Cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin or Ethereum, which work on blockchain technology.
CBDCs (Central Bank Digital Currencies), such as the future digital euro, which are virtual currencies issued by governments or central banks.

The undisputed king of the dance: its majesty, the Bitcoin

If the world of cryptocurrencies were a monarchy, Bitcoin would be the undisputed king, the one who got there first and laid the foundations of the game. Created in 2009 by a mysterious figure known as Satoshi Nakamoto (no one knows if it is a person or a group), the Bitcoin was the first decentralised virtual currency.

Bitcoin is to cryptocurrencies what the Ford T was to cars: the pioneer that changed everything. Its value is not based on gold or the trust of a government, but on pure mathematics, supply and demand, and the trust of its community of users. Its supply is finite (only 21 million Bitcoin will ever exist), which gives it a similar quality to gold: scarcity.

Today, to speak of Bitcoin is to speak of a fully-fledged financial asset, a store of value for some and a high-risk investment vehicle for others. Its price is famously volatile – Bitcoin has gone from pennies to over $60,000 per unit at times, rising and falling like a roller coaster – but its resilience and growing adoption have established it as the guiding light for the entire crypto ecosystem.

Any company in the fintech sector, any financial consultancy or any modern investor has at least one eye on the behaviour of Bitcoin.

Today, large companies such as Tesla, MicroStrategy and PayPal are already using it. And more SMEs are opening up to the world of crypto payments.

The workspace for the digital revolution: connecting with Ibercenter

This is where the digital money revolution meets the workspace revolution. The professionals leading and participating in this new economy – from the head of a multinational fintech to the digital nomad entrepreneur – share a mindset: agility, flexibility and a vision for the future. They are not content with the rigid structures of the past.

Just as Bitcoin challenged the traditional financial system, flexible working models challenge the traditional long-term office tenancy.

For a director of a consulting firm or a fintech advising on Bitcoin investments, you can’t afford to run an office. You need a premium, private, state-of-the-art space to meet with high-level clients. A private office at Ibercenter Azca, in the financial heart of Madrid, gives you that professional image and the peace of mind of an all-inclusive service to focus on what matters: strategy.
For a financial technology company from London or Zurich that decides to open its first office in Spain, you don’t want the burden of a massive initial investment. It is looking to establish itself in a prestigious location such as the Barrio de Salamanca (Ibercenter Velázquez) or in the heart of the city centre (Ibercenter Gran Vía). It needs flexibility to scale its team, executive boardrooms to impress its partners and the certainty that its Madrid operation will be flawless from day one.
For a blockchain application developer or crypto startup marketing consultant working remotely from Paris or Madrid, you don’t want a 10-year contract. She’s looking for a dynamic ecosystem, a place like Ibercenter Gran Via where she can have her office, connect with other innovators at networking events and enjoy the vibrant energy of the city.

The Bitcoin and virtual currency economy is decentralised, global and flexible. Ibercenter’s workspaces are designed to accommodate the protagonists of this economy, offering them a physical ecosystem that adapts to their pace and not the other way around.

Looking ahead: virtual currency trends for 2025

The crypto world is moving at breakneck speed. What is cutting-edge today may be history tomorrow. However, there are several mega-trends that are shaping the landscape and will explode by 2025. Take note!

1. Institutional adoption becomes massive

If Bitcoin used to be a game for tech enthusiasts and retail traders, now the “grown-ups have entered the room”. Large investment funds, banks and multinational corporations are incorporating Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies into their balance sheets.