Summary of 2026 Predictions from 14 Industry Giants Including Fidelity and a16z: Global Regulation to Benefit Stablecoins, AI, and Privacy

Odaily News Fidelity, a16z, BlackRock, and 11 other industry giants have made predictions for the 2026 crypto market:

1. In its 2026 Global Markets Annual Outlook, BlackRock stated that as stablecoin adoption increases, the proportion of emerging markets using their own currencies may decline, and stablecoins will challenge governments' control over domestic currencies.

2. David Duong, Head of Investment Research at Coinbase, said that due to heightened global awareness of digital surveillance, demand for privacy tokens will surge significantly. Ethereum's privacy initiatives and tokens like Zcash and Monero will gain attention.

3. Fidelity stated that more countries will purchase Bitcoin in 2026. Brazil and Kyrgyzstan have already passed legislation allowing Bitcoin to be included in national reserves.

4. Phong Le, CEO of Strategy, similarly predicts increased national adoption of Bitcoin in 2026.

5. JPMorgan stated in its market outlook that, despite a decline in market value from $4 trillion in 2025, the crypto industry remains well-positioned in 2026 due to more relaxed US regulation. Stablecoins are becoming an independent force, and digital assets are favored as searches for dollar alternatives increase.

6. a16z predicts that in 2026, AI agents will revolutionize internet payments and banking, enabling instant, permissioned payments without invoices or reconciliation. a16z also believes privacy will become the most important moat in the crypto space.

7. DefiLlama stated in a joint report that regulatory clarity has pushed stablecoins into the mainstream. In 2026, other jurisdictions will follow the US Genius Act and the EU's MiCA policy, accelerating the emergence of non-dollar stablecoins.

8. Galaxy Digital predicts that the Bitcoin price will reach $250,000 by the end of 2027, stablecoin transaction volume will surpass the ACH banking system, and the market cap of privacy-related tokens will exceed $100 billion by the end of 2026.

9. Matthew Sigel, Head of Digital Assets Research at VanEck, predicts that 2026 will be a year of consolidation for digital assets rather than a major rally or crash. Bitcoin's four-year cycle remains unchanged, and he advises clients to allocate 1% to 3% of their portfolios to top-tier crypto assets.

10. Katrina Paglia, Chief Legal Officer at Pantera Capital, said US crypto policy will shift from uncertainty to enforcement. The regulatory reset under the Trump administration has clarified the industry's direction. The Genius Act establishes a licensing and regulatory framework for payment stablecoins.

11. Jeff Ren, Co-founder of OKX Ventures, stated that in 2026, more assets will be tokenized on-chain, including gold, stocks, intellectual property, and even GPUs, aiming to package risks in an intuitive format for users to hedge.

12. Silicon Valley Bank analysts Anthony Vassallo and Josh Pherigo believe that venture capitalists will invest more in institutional-grade crypto products from mature companies in 2026, and enterprise adoption of crypto is accelerating market confidence.

13. 21Shares predicts that the assets under management (AUM) of crypto spot ETFs will exceed $400 billion in 2026, as these instruments have become strategic allocation tools.

14. A TRM Labs report points out that the crypto industry will enter a more mature, strictly regulated phase. Governments will view blockchain networks as national security issues, and the divide between compliant, institutionalized markets and offshore markets will become more pronounced. (DL News)