Will 2026 Be the Year That Crypto Finally Goes Mainstream?

This year brought major structural shifts to the cryptocurrency world. They could start to bear fruit in 2026.

Looking at cryptocurrency prices, market sentiment, and headlines, you could be forgiven for thinking that the blockchain sky is falling. Since the start of October, the overall market cap for crypto has fallen from $4.2 trillion to $2.9 trillion. And that’s extremely unsettling for investors in these assets. However, the cryptocurrency industry also took some steps toward mainstream adoption in 2025 that would have been unthinkable five years ago.

Woman holding phone looks away from desk of computer screens showing investment performance.

Image source: Getty Images.

The U.S. government announced a plan to begin including Bitcoin (BTC +0.27%) in its strategic reserves. Lawmakers passed a clear legislative framework…

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