Crypto asset manager CoinShares says digital assets are moving from experimental tools to integral parts of the financial system, as major institutions increasingly leverage public blockchains.
In its 2026 Digital Asset Outlook, published Monday, CoinShares predicts the next phase will emphasize integration over disruption, calling it “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 CEO Jean-Marie Mognetti, adding that 2026 is likely to bring “consolidation into the real economy.”
The report highlights growing stablecoin adoption and the expansion of tokenized assets, including private credit and U.S. Treasuries, alongside tokenized funds, deposits, and stablecoin offerings from established institutions.
Bitcoin adoption is accelerating as well, with U.S. spot ETFs receiving over $90 billion in inflows and more than one million BTC held across corporate treasuries in 190 public companies.
Looking ahead, CoinShares anticipates broader access through wealth platforms and retirement accounts, along with increased direct institutional settlement via custody banks. The firm also outlines three bitcoin price scenarios tied to macro conditions:
- Soft landing with productivity gains: BTC above $150,000.
- Steady growth: BTC between $110,000–$140,000.
- Stagflation or recession: short-term decline followed by a rebound.
Competition to become the settlement layer for hybrid finance is intensifying, with Ethereum remaining the institutional anchor.
“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 notes regulatory divergence, from Europe’s MiCA framework to evolving U.S. stablecoin rules and Asia’s Basel-style approach, as well as structural trends like miners entering HPC and AI infrastructure and the growing mainstream relevance of prediction markets.
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