State of Crypto #16: Market Outlook 2026

In order to own the future, you have to be able to see it. The 21shares State of Crypto: Market Outlook 2026 offers essential reading for anyone navigating the next chapter of the digital asset economy.

Three forces reshaped the crypto landscape in 2025: institutional adoption surged, regulatory frameworks matured, and tokenization transitioned quickly to implementation. These developments laid a stronger, more structural foundation.

How will this play out in 2026?

Our report provides ten bold, evidence-led predictions for this new market phase. Standout themes we’re forecasting include:

• A new onchain era driven by institutional capital and regulatory clarity.
• Continued market maturation will cement Bitcoin's status as a macro-driven asset.
• DeFi's rise will be accelerated by improved user experience and clearer product-market fit.
• Tokenization’s structural breakout will bring real-world assets into core digital markets.
• Stablecoins will become global payments infrastructure, surpassing the $1 trillion market cap.
• Rise of agentic finance (AI applications) will automate capital allocation and financial operations.

As the outlook details, this is not a euphoric boom, but a compounding buildout of a global, programmable financial layer. Read on to discover that, while the upside may be less explosive than in past cycles, the foundations are significantly stronger, and corrections are expected to be milder.