In 2026, Coinbase Expects ETFs, Stablecoins, and Tokenization to Drive Crypto Adoption

According to Duong, these patterns will likely grow.

He said “we expect these forces to compound in 2026 as ETF approval timelines compress, stablecoins take a larger role in delivery-vs-payment structures, and tokenized collateral is recognized more broadly across traditional transactions”.

Crypto acceptance has expanded more slowly than early evangelists projected, but it has remained stable.

Demand Sage analytics reveals global crypto adoption oscillating within a small area during the past two years, from 10.3% in 2023 to 9.9% in 2025.

After October Market Crash, Michael Saylor, Crypto Titans Lost Billions

On Wednesday, the Bloomberg Billionaires Index reported that Strategy executive chairman Michael Saylor lost $2.6 billion in the past year, lowering his net worth to $3.8 billion.

After months of strength, Bitcoin and crypto-linked shares plummeted in October after a flash crash.

approach's aggressive Bitcoin treasury approach outperformed through early October, when Bitcoin hit record highs, Bloomberg reported.

As Bitcoin prices fell, Strategy's share price fell by more than 50% and Saylor's net worth fell by about $6 billion.

Other prominent crypto personalities were affected. According to Bloomberg, Changpeng Zhao (CZ) lost 5% of his wealth since Jan. 1, leaving him valued $50.9 billion.

Vitalik Calls for Decentralized Future to Prevent Collapse

In a lengthy essay, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin warned that governments, businesses, and populist movements are concentrating power and suggested forced technical dissemination.

The blog article “Balance of Power” claims that economies of scale increasingly outperform natural counterbalancing forces, creating unprecedented risks of hegemonic domination that undermine democratic institutions and individual liberty.

Buterin's paradigm targets the “dense jungle” where Big Government, Big Business, and Big Mob strengthen.

“We like progress—whether in technology, economy, or culture—but we fear the three historically most powerful generators of such progress,” he said, describing the tension behind modern fears of concentrated authority.