In right now’s e-newsletter, Paul Veradittakit, Managing Associate at Pantera Capital, shares his predictions for 2026 on cryptocurrencies, real-world asset tokenization, and AI.
Programming be aware: This would be the final e-newsletter of 2025. We look ahead to seeing you in 2026. We’re additionally choosing third-party contributors for subsequent yr, so in case you are a world thought chief with analysis you want to share, please get in contact.
A giant thanks to all of this yr’s contributors and to all of our e-newsletter subscribers. We’re wanting ahead to 2026. All indicators level to an thrilling yr within the digital asset house.
– Sarah Morton
Cryptocurrency Outlook in 2026: Actual-world belongings, AI safety, and the following wave of IPOs
In 2025, the U.S. authorities appointed a crypto czar, created a Bitcoin strategic stockpile, fashioned a digital asset working group, and elected a brand new Securities and Alternate Fee (SEC) chairman who embraces innovation. In Congress, the GENIUS Act supplied a transparent stablecoin regulatory framework and facilitated a $100 billion improve in stablecoin demand.
Coinbase turns into the primary crypto firm added to the S&P 500, 9 blockchain firms have launched IPOs, Robinhood has launched tokenized shares, and Vanguard has lifted its ban on crypto exchange-traded funds (ETFs).
To 2026.
Actual world belongings (RWA) are in full swing
As of December 15, 2025, that quantity amounted to roughly 14% of the entire worth locked (TVL) of $16.6 billion out of decentralized finance (DeFi TVL $118 billion).
prediction:
- Authorities debt and personal credit score may at the least double.
- Tokenized shares and equities may develop even sooner as soon as the anticipated “innovation exemption” below the SEC’s “Undertaking Crypto” is launched.
- One sudden sector will catch fireplace: carbon credit, mineral pursuits, or power tasks. This sector is prone to be characterised by fragmented liquidity, world distribution, and lack of requirements, which blockchain-based markets will assist resolve.
AI will revolutionize on-chain safety
AI safety and blockchain growth instruments are getting frighteningly good. Actual-time fraud detection, 95% correct Bitcoin labeling of transactions, on the spot sensible contract debugging is right here, and we detect tens of millions of blockchain vulnerabilities.
prediction: Think about a higher shift to on-chain intelligence with deterministic and verifiable guidelines taking up sensible contract-based governance. The applying scans your code in close to real-time, immediately figuring out logic bugs and exploits, and offering on the spot debugging suggestions. The subsequent large unicorn might be an progressive on-chain safety firm that will increase security by 100x.
Prediction markets are an acquisition goal
With $28 billion traded within the first 10 months of 2025, prediction markets are consolidating round institutional infrastructure. ATH reached $2.3 billion for the week of October twentieth.
prediction: The business deal is value greater than $1 billion and doesn’t contain Polymarket or Calci. Profitable platforms construct inner liquidity rails with built-in market discovery intelligence that factors out the place your cash is hiding and why. Overlook about shiny new buttons. It is all about giving customers superpowers like on the spot entry to hidden swimming pools, smarter routing, predictive order stream, and extra.
Sports activities-specific platforms like DraftKings and FanDuel have gone mainstream, partnering with media retailers to ship real-time odds. New entrants like sports-focused NoVig will increase their presence vertically and new startups will emerge as APAC is a area to look at.
AI turns into your private crypto co-pilot
Utilization of shopper AI platforms will skyrocket as techniques mature, delivering hyper-personalized experiences that meet personalized expectations. Seamless integration makes it straightforward to make use of superior AI, and your utilization goes from clunky to clunky immediately.
prediction: Platforms like Surf.ai will interact individuals from people all for cryptocurrencies to lively merchants in 2026 by way of intuitive superior AI fashions, proprietary crypto datasets, and multi-step workflow brokers. I imagine that our refined expertise and accessible design positions Surf because the go-to crypto analysis instrument, delivering on the spot, on-chain-backed market insights 4 instances sooner than different related platforms rising as common choices.
Large banks gear up: stablecoin loom anchored in G7
A bunch of 10 main banks is within the early phases of contemplating the issuance of stablecoins by a consortium pegged to G7 currencies. Monetary establishments are figuring out whether or not stablecoins throughout the business have the potential to ship the advantages of digital forex to individuals and establishments in a compliant and risk-managed method. In the meantime, a bunch of 10 European banks is investigating the issuance of a euro-pegged stablecoin.
prediction: A consortium of huge banks plans to launch its personal stablecoin (no matter whether or not these pilot tasks materialize in 2026 or one other consortium).
Privateness, funds, and perpetuity: the institutional trio
Privateness applied sciences are booming in institutional use because of the mixture of transparency and confidentiality of Zama, Canton, and different protocols, however haven’t discovered traction or scalability in retail use. Stablecoins at present stand at $310 billion, greater than doubling in market capitalization since 2023 and marking 25 consecutive months of enlargement. Perpetual swap contracts already account for round 78% of cryptocurrency derivatives buying and selling quantity, and the hole between parse and spot choices continues to widen.
prediction: Relating to privateness, the hole between institutional buyers and retailers will widen in 2026. Stablecoins have a long-term path to over $2 trillion, reaching at the least $500 billion subsequent yr, and perpetual coin momentum will proceed into 2026.
The yr of the largest crypto IPOs in historical past
There have already been 335 IPOs within the US in 2025, an total improve of 55% from 2024. A lot of them had been crypto-friendly, together with 9 blockchain IPOs. This consists of crypto-native firms like Circle Web Group, which is about to launch on Might 27, 2025, and crypto-inclusive firms like Particular Acquisition Function Corporations (SPACS). For instance, Bitcoin Infrastructure Acquisition Corp was based on December 2, 2025.
prediction: 2026 might be a fair larger yr for digital asset listings. In accordance with Coinbase, 76% of firms plan so as to add tokenized belongings in 2026, with some aiming for greater than 5% of their complete portfolios. Morpho serves for instance of a protocol with a TVL of $8.6 billion in November 2025.
Institutional macro perspective
As of December fifteenth, 17.867% of Bitcoin holdings had been within the fingers of private and non-private firms, ETFs, and nations. In 2026, cryptocurrencies might be built-in into mainstream platforms and monetary rails might be upgraded, difficult right now’s incumbents.
prediction: 2026 isn’t about hype and memes. Will probably be about integration, real-world compliance, and the motion of institutional capital pushed by public market liquidity.
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– Paul Veradittakit, Managing Associate, Pantera Capital
Please proceed studying
- The Workplace of the Comptroller of the Foreign money (OCC) introduced that it has conditionally accredited 5 nationwide belief financial institution constitution functions.
- The Federal Deposit Insurance coverage Company proposes the primary stablecoin rules in america.
- Wall Road continues to maneuver on-chain. JPMorgan Chase has launched a tokenized cash market fund (MMF).
