Greater policy clarity is expected to support responsible innovation and give businesses the confidence to scale their operations.
The report notes that stablecoins are increasingly acting as a bridge between traditional finance and decentralised systems. As a result, transaction volumes continue to rise. In 2024, total stablecoin transaction value grew sharply, with around 92% — equivalent to roughly US$24 trillion — linked to crypto trading and on- and off-ramps.
While most activity still relates to crypto markets, other use cases are expected to expand further in the coming year.
At the same time, many financial institutions are exploring alternative digital payment options, including CBDCs and deposit tokens. Each form of digital currency has different strengths and limitations, and experimentation is expected to continue, leading to multiple digital payment systems operating in parallel for different use cases.
The rise of asset tokenisation
One of the most significant trends heading into 2026 is the acceleration of tokenisation. Although experimentation has been under way for more than a decade, momentum has increased markedly, particularly among traditional financial institutions.
Larry Fink and Rob Goldstein of BlackRock have argued that tokenisation can significantly expand the universe of investable assets beyond today’s equity- and bond-dominated markets.
Blockchain enables assets to be represented digitally in a form that is fractionalised, programmable and tradable, improving liquidity, transparency and efficiency.
A wide range of assets — from funds and bonds to real estate and carbon credits — are moving on-chain, with the potential to transform capital markets and broaden access to investment opportunities.
Convergence of TradFi and DeFi
The report also highlights that, as blockchain ecosystems mature, both Web3-native firms and traditional financial institutions are increasingly experimenting with digital assets. In 2026, the convergence between traditional finance (TradFi) and decentralised finance (DeFi) is expected to become more pronounced.
Several established institutions have already begun integrating digital assets into their core businesses. For example, JPMorgan has issued its US-dollar deposit token, JPM Coin, on a public blockchain, while Citi has integrated Citi Token Services into its 24-hour real-time US-dollar payment system for cross-border payments and liquidity management.
Across the value chain — from asset managers and market infrastructure providers to payment firms, fintechs and investors — blockchain-based solutions are being adopted to reduce friction, enhance transparency and lower transaction costs.
Why 2026 matters
Following the regulatory advances of 2025, this year marks a crucial phase for scaling the responsible use of digital-asset solutions. The period ahead is expected to lay the groundwork for fully leveraging blockchain technology, with entire asset classes potentially trading on-chain, reshaping capital flows, investment liquidity and the global financial system.
Companies and institutions may increasingly embed blockchain into core operations and balance-sheet structures, while global cooperation frameworks become clearer, setting rules for interoperable cross-border digital finance.
Key priorities include interoperability, international coordination and public-private collaboration.
The report recommends that business leaders assess how blockchain can be integrated into their asset base, operations and capital structures.
Investors and asset managers should examine tokenised assets and consider how they could transform investment processes or create new investable products. Policymakers and regulators are urged to focus on regulatory clarity to promote transparency, best practices and supportive frameworks for interconnected cross-border digital finance.
For technologists, the emphasis should be on designing systems with interoperability, privacy and resilience in mind, while contributing to standards and governance models that build trust and confidence among all stakeholders.
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