Crypto asset manager CoinShares says digital assets are moving from the fringes of finance to becoming a core layer of financial infrastructure, as major institutions increasingly leverage public blockchains.
In its 2026 Digital Asset Outlook, published Monday, the firm predicts the next phase of adoption will center on integration rather than disruption, describing the trend as “hybrid finance”—where crypto rails merge with traditional finance to create new market infrastructure.
“Digital assets are no longer operating outside the traditional economy,” said CoinShares CEO Jean-Marie Mognetti, adding that 2026 is likely to bring “consolidation into the real economy.”
The report points to growing stablecoin usage and the rise of tokenized assets, led by private credit and U.S. Treasuries, alongside an expansion of tokenized funds, deposits, and stablecoin launches from established financial institutions.
Bitcoin adoption is also accelerating. U.S. spot ETFs have seen over $90 billion in inflows, and more than one million BTC are now held across corporate treasuries in 190 public companies.
For 2026, CoinShares expects broader access via wealth platforms, retirement accounts, and more direct institutional settlement through custody banks.
The firm outlines three potential bitcoin price scenarios linked to macroeconomic conditions:
- Soft landing with productivity gains: BTC could surpass $150,000.
- Steady, muted growth: BTC may range from $110,000–$140,000.
- Stagflation or recession: Short-term weakness could occur, with a rebound possible later.
Competition to become the settlement layer for hybrid finance is intensifying, with Ethereum remaining the institutional anchor even as rivals emerge.
“2026 will be defined by a financial system quietly rearchitecting itself around public blockchains and digital settlement layers,” said James Butterfill, CoinShares head of research.
The report also highlights regulatory divergence, from Europe’s MiCA framework to evolving U.S. stablecoin rules and Asia’s Basel-style approach, as well as structural shifts such as miners moving into HPC and AI infrastructure and prediction markets gaining mainstream relevance.
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