Annual report · 2026
Crypto & markets report 2026
Our inaugural year-in-review: the themes that shaped crypto and markets this year, in plain English, with links to the live data behind them. Context, not investment advice.
This is a high-level, plain-English review of the year in crypto and markets — what changed, what mattered, and what we're watching next. It is general context, updated November 2026, not investment research or advice, and it links to our live pages so you can check the data yourself.
The year in review
Six themes that defined 2026
Markets: a maturing asset class
Crypto spent the year trading less like an island and more like a risk asset woven into global markets — moving with the US dollar, interest-rate expectations and big-tech equities. Bitcoin's role as the sector's anchor deepened after spot ETFs widened access, while altcoin performance stayed highly selective and cyclical. The throughline: liquidity and macro mattered as much as crypto-native narratives. Track it live on our markets, forex and global stocks pages.
Institutions kept arriving
Regulated players — asset managers, custodians and some public companies — continued to build on crypto rails: ETF flows became a watched demand signal, regulated custody matured, and tokenised money-market and Treasury funds moved real assets on-chain. See the detail in our institutional market digest.
RWA was the standout sector
Real-world asset tokenisation — led by tokenised Treasuries and private credit — was among the fastest-growing themes, bridging traditional yield and on-chain settlement. It also surfaced hard questions about legal enforceability and custody. Full breakdown in our RWA sector research.
Stablecoins moved toward the mainstream
Dollar stablecoins cemented their role as crypto's settlement layer and drew growing interest from banks and payment firms, helped by clearer rules in major markets. Euro and other-currency stablecoins expanded the picture, effectively putting more of forex on-chain.
Regulation firmed up — unevenly
The rulebook got clearer in places: the EU's MiCA regime bedded in, and several jurisdictions advanced stablecoin and market-structure rules. Regulation stayed the single biggest swing factor region by region, shaping where exchanges and products could operate. Follow it on our policy news.
The event map shifted east
Dubai, Hong Kong and Singapore reinforced their status as global crypto hubs, hosting a dense calendar of conferences, while established Western hubs stayed active. Browse upcoming gatherings in our event guides.
The year ahead
What we're watching
- • Whether ETF and tokenised-fund flows keep broadening institutional demand.
- • How far RWA tokenisation scales beyond Treasuries into credit, real estate and equities — and whether the legal plumbing keeps up.
- • Stablecoin regulation and bank adoption as a settlement rail.
- • Market-structure clarity in major jurisdictions, which decides where products can launch.
- • The interplay between crypto, the US dollar and global risk sentiment.
This report is updated as the year develops. For the latest, follow our news, research and live market data.
General information only, updated November 2026. Not investment, financial or legal advice, and not a recommendation regarding any asset. Forward-looking statements are open questions, not forecasts. Markets are volatile and you can lose money; verify against primary sources and consider advice from a licensed professional.