Bitcoin (BTC), the largest and most well-known cryptocurrency, is expected to surge by 67% and reach a price of $150,000 by 2026. Even though Bitcoin’s market dominance might slightly decline, it will still grow in value. Meanwhile, Ethereum (ETH) and Solana (SOL) are likely to gain more traction, especially in the smart contract and decentralized app (dApp) space. Smaller blockchains, including those focused on stablecoins, are not expected to perform as well.

In the next few years, big-name companies — including some from the Fortune 100 list — are expected to launch their own blockchain projects. As the space matures, only a handful of major players, especially large banks, will dominate these new ventures. On the infrastructure side, more blockchain networks will adopt a new type of architecture known as DoubleZero, which is designed to improve efficiency and security.

When it comes to decentralized trading platforms, particularly those offering perpetual contracts (on-chain perps), only two or three platforms are expected to lead the market. The same trend is expected for decentralized prediction markets. Most user activity and liquidity will likely flow into platforms like Polymarket, Kalshi, and Robinhood’s Web3 interface.

The stablecoin market is also expected to grow rapidly. The total supply of stablecoins could increase by 60% year-over-year. USD-backed stablecoins will still dominate, making up over 99% of the market. However, Tether (USDT), which currently leads the pack, may see its market share fall to around 55%.

Political changes in the United States could influence the popularity of political-themed meme coins and ecosystems like WLFI/USD1. These tokens may rise or fall depending on public interest and political shifts.

One area with huge growth potential is stablecoin-based payment cards. These cards could become a key tool for everyday users to spend stablecoins in real life. A company called Rain is expected to play a major role in driving this trend forward.

The relationship between artificial intelligence (AI) and Web3 will still be a hot topic, but real-world use cases outside of tech industries will remain limited. Despite that, small teams — sometimes with fewer than 10 people — will continue to build widely used products in this space. However, full adoption of AI-powered financial transactions (agentic payments) likely won’t happen in 2025.

Security in crypto will remain a major focus for all project teams. Because of better security practices, the number of large-scale crypto hacks is expected to decrease by 2026.