#Gate广场创作者新春激励 2026 Cryptocurrency Market Outlook: From Speculative Frenzy to Value Reconnection

Three Main Trends Leading 2026

1. Stablecoins Become Core Infrastructure: The global issuance of stablecoins has surpassed $300 billion, with USDT and USDC accounting for over 80%. Stablecoin trading volume has overtaken major credit card networks like Visa, becoming an essential part of the global payment ecosystem. Traditional giants such as Visa, Stripe, and PayPal have begun using stablecoins for settlement, and cross-border payments, B2B settlements, and other institutional scenarios are accelerating their migration onto the blockchain.
2. Prediction Markets Break Out of the Speculative Bubble: Kalshi has obtained a US CFTC futures license, allowing it to legally offer prediction trading related to macroeconomic data, with a valuation of $11 billion. Polymarket relies on topics like US elections and sports events, becoming a platform where many users place bets and gauge public opinion. Prediction markets are shifting from pure speculation to "collective intelligence pricing tools," potentially being referenced by media, research institutions, and even trading strategies.
3. On-Chain US Stocks Enter a New Chapter: Securitize plans to launch the first fully compliant on-chain stock trading platform in 2026, where tokens purchased on the chain will represent actual company shares, with voting rights and dividends. This marks the transition of traditional financial assets into tokenized forms on the blockchain, creating a new, compliant securitization market.
In 2026, the crypto industry may not experience a "rocket to the sky" price surge, but it is moving toward a more authentic and useful direction. From crypto ETFs to stablecoin payments, from on-chain government bonds to prediction markets, from on-chain Agents to decentralized AI, these trends indicate that blockchain technology is embedding itself into the real-world financial system, resonating with stock markets, macro liquidity, policy expectations, and even AI cycles. For investors, patience and rationality remain essential in this brutal market. True success lies in integrating crypto technology into everyday life, rather than chasing short-term price fluctuations.