TLDR
- RWA tokens recorded average gains of 186%, vastly outperforming any other category.
- Layer 1 narratives and “Made in USA” projects took second and third place in performance.
- Previously popular sectors such as AI, memecoins, and Gaming closed the year with negative returns.
The year 2025 marked a definitive turning point in investor priorities. Data from CoinGecko reveals that the RWA sector (Real World Assets) has consolidated its position as the most profitable crypto narrative of the year, achieving average returns of approximately 186%. This performance positions the tokenization of real-world assets as the undisputed leader in a market characterized by sharp divergence between sectors.
While last year everyone focused on rampant speculation, 2025 rewarded tangible utility. Behind the RWA sector, only Layer 1 (L1) projects with 80% and the “Made in USA” narrative with 31% managed to stay in positive territory.
The rest of the ecosystem—including DeFi, Layer 2, DePIN, and the Gaming sector—failed to generate positive average returns, highlighting the concentration of capital in institutional adoption themes.
The Decline of AI and Memecoins Against Real Value
The annual comparison reveals a drastic shift in market hierarchy. Last year, the dominance of gains belonged to Artificial Intelligence (AI) and memecoins, with astronomical figures leaving the RWA sector in a respectable but distant third place.
However, in 2025, this behavior reversed: AI went from the top to being one of the weakest narratives, and memecoins suffered significant losses following the exhaustion of the hype.
This boom in the RWA sector signals a strategic rotation toward assets linked to structural value and real financial integration. The sustained interest in tokenized bonds, real estate, and commodities suggests that the market is maturing.
Investors are now hunting for projects with solid fundamentals and verifiable income streams, moving away from schemes driven solely by social media trends.
In summary, 2025 will be remembered as the year in which real utility finally defeated pure speculation.
