Crypto and DeFi in 2026: Adoption, Innovation, and the Road Ahead
As crypto and DeFi continue to shed their outsider status, with regulatory clarity improving and integration with traditional systems deepening, the stage is being set for broader adoption of digital assets and innovations in how we think about ownership and identity.
Having surpassed the halfway point of 2025, it’s clear that crypto and DeFi are no longer on the fringes of the financial system. From banks issuing their stablecoins to Fortune 500s pursuing blockchain projects, what was once an obscure industry, often incomprehensible to many and disparaged for its volatility, has now been projected into the mainstream.
Much of this has been driven by positive policy updates, with passed legislation such as the Genius Act providing…
