By 2026, Bitcoin and tokenized assets are expected to become a regular part of the global financial system. As competition between blockchain platforms heats up and countries adopt different rules, digital assets are moving from the sidelines to the core of finance.

According to investment firm CoinShares, the world is entering a new era of “hybrid finance” — a blend of traditional banking and blockchain technology. This means crypto won’t replace the current system but will work with it to improve how money flows globally.

CoinShares CEO Jean-Marie Mognetti says digital assets are no longer separate from the mainstream economy. Instead, they are becoming an important layer of it. By 2026, we should see crypto technology playing a bigger role in real-world finance.

This shift is already happening. Stablecoins — cryptocurrencies pegged to traditional money like the US dollar — are being used more often. Tokenized assets, such as digital versions of private loans or U.S. government bonds, are growing fast. Traditional banks and financial institutions are also launching their own tokenized funds and stablecoins.

Bitcoin is also becoming more accepted in the financial world. Over $90 billion has flowed into U.S.-based Bitcoin ETFs (exchange-traded funds), and more than one million Bitcoins are now held by 190 public companies for long-term investment.

Looking ahead to 2026, CoinShares expects more people to access Bitcoin through regular wealth management platforms and retirement accounts. Big financial institutions will also start settling transactions directly using digital assets through custody banks.

The report outlines three possible price paths for Bitcoin by 2026:

– If the economy grows strongly with new tech productivity, Bitcoin could reach over $150,000.
– If growth is steady but not exciting, Bitcoin might land between $110,000 and $140,000.
– If there’s a recession or high inflation, prices could dip first but recover later.

The competition among blockchains to become the foundation of this new financial system is growing. Ethereum remains the top choice for institutions, but other blockchains are catching up quickly.

CoinShares predicts that 2026 will be a turning point where finance is quietly redesigned around public blockchains and digital payment systems. This means behind-the-scenes changes in how money is transferred, stored, and managed.

The report also highlights growing differences in crypto regulations around the world. Europe is rolling out its MiCA rules, the U.S. is still shaping its stablecoin policies, and Asia is following strict Basel-style guidelines.

Other trends include crypto miners shifting toward high-performance computing (HPC) and artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure. Meanwhile, prediction markets — where people bet on future events using crypto — are gaining wider interest.

In short, by 2026 we’ll see deeper integration between crypto and traditional finance, more mainstream use of digital assets, and major changes in how global finance operates under the surface.