Kevin O’Leary Predicts Crypto Will Become the 12th Sector of the U.S. Economy

Kevin O’Leary, the well-known investor and media personality from Shark Tank, has once again voiced his strong confidence in the future of digital assets. Speaking ahead of his keynote address at Consensus 2025 in Toronto, O’Leary said he believes cryptocurrencies are on track to become the 12th recognized sector of the U.S. economy within the next five years. He emphasized that regulation is the key barrier holding back institutional capital and mainstream integration.

Currently, O’Leary has about 19% of his portfolio allocated to digital assets and crypto-related equities, including Coinbase, Robinhood, and WonderFi. He believes the infrastructure around crypto is increasingly profitable, noting that exchanges benefit from market volatility, which ensures consistent revenue whether prices rise or fall. This, he says, is appealing for long-term investors seeking resilient models.

He also spoke about the appeal of stablecoins like USDC, which he prefers over traditional bank deposits for yield generation. O’Leary claims to receive a 3.8% yield on USDC, significantly more than most savings accounts, and revealed he is an investor in Circle, the issuer of USDC. For him, this blend of yield and security makes stablecoins a compelling financial tool.

Although optimistic about the future of crypto, O’Leary remains skeptical of Bitcoin ETFs. He questioned the need to pay management fees for something investors can access directly. Instead, he urged the industry to focus on compliance, stating that the “crypto cowboy” era is over. According to him, trillions of dollars are sitting on the sidelines waiting for clear regulations before entering the digital asset space. His overall message was clear: once regulatory clarity is achieved, the crypto market will take its place among the pillars of the U.S. economy.