Bitcoin’s Explosive Future: Experts Eye Trillions by 2026
The cryptocurrency world anticipates a transformative period. Industry leaders foresee Bitcoin and the broader crypto ecosystem significantly impacting global finance. They expect trillions of dollars in assets to shift into this digital realm. A recent exclusive event, LONGITUDE, during Token2049 in Singapore, brought together top minds. These experts painted a highly optimistic 2026 outlook for the entire sector. This momentum, building through 2025, promises continued expansion.
Bitcoin’s Soaring Trajectory: A $3.2 Million Prediction
Arthur Hayes, Chief Investment Officer at Maelstrom, delivered a compelling forecast. He predicts Bitcoin could reach an astonishing $3.2 million. This projection stems from models suggesting ongoing monetary expansion by the US Treasury. Hayes firmly believes most of this new capital will flow directly into Bitcoin. He also highlighted a new market trend: a focus on fundamental value. This ‘fundamental season’ emphasizes projects with strong cash flow and revenue.
Hayes elaborated on successful altcoin strategies. “The token projects that do really well in this altseason will have sort of a Hyperliquid-style profitability, taking those profits, buying back their token or doing some sort of emissions,” he stated. Furthermore, Hayes discussed the emergence of Digital Asset Treasuries (DATs). He believes a few early movers will dominate this new financial product. This concentration of capital will likely favor larger names. Companies like Strategy or Bitmine are poised to capture the lion’s share of these inflows.
Crypto News Insights’s Gareth Jenkinson in conversation with Arthur Hayes.The Rise of Digital Asset Treasuries (DATs) and Institutional Inflows
The LONGITUDE event also featured a lively debate on Digital Asset Treasuries (DATs). Three industry heavyweights championed different assets for corporate balance sheets. Joseph Chalom, CEO of SharpLink Gaming, strongly advocated for Ethereum. He believes Ether offers numerous benefits over other tokens. Chalom envisions a profound disruption of traditional finance by Ethereum and its Layer 2 solutions. “I have a belief that most of finance will be fundamentally disrupted by Ethereum and its L2s, and I believe we’re at the point where it’s not just going to be financial markets changing, it’s going to be civilization-level change,” he explained.
Conversely, Andrew Webley, CEO of The Smarter Web Company, championed Bitcoin. His company manages the UK’s most successful publicly-listed Bitcoin treasury. Webley emphasized two core qualities of BTC: its fixed supply and its decentralized nature. “So there’s simply two qualities that I like about Bitcoin. The fixed number that will ever exist and the fact that no one controls it,” he asserted. Meanwhile, David Namdar, who raised $500 million for BNC’s BNB treasury, highlighted BNB Chain’s utility. He also pointed to Binance’s position as the world’s largest exchange. These factors make BNB a compelling choice for corporate treasuries, attracting significant institutional inflows.
Shaping the Crypto Ecosystem: Metaverse and Blockchain Infrastructure
A philosophical discussion unfolded between Ethereum co-founder Joseph Lubin and acclaimed author Neal Stephenson. They explored Stephenson’s visionary predictions. His novels, like Snow Crash and Cryptonomicon, foresaw a future built on cryptography and decentralized systems. Lubin revealed he drew significant inspiration from these works. Stephenson’s vision of cyberspace resonated deeply with many builders of Lubin’s generation. “The thing that was really positive and compelling was how he articulated what cyberspace might look like and feel like and how you might get into cyberspace and interact with objects and space. It was a crisp, stark vision. I think it showed the way for a lot of builders of my generation,” Lubin reflected.
Joe Lubin and Neal Stephenson at LONGITUDE in Singapore.Lubin further shared insights into Ethereum-based DATs. He also disclosed a significant development: SWIFT is now using Consensys-based Ethereum development tools. This move aims to evolve SWIFT’s existing infrastructure onto blockchain rails. This integration underscores the growing influence of the crypto ecosystem on traditional finance. The move signals a broader acceptance and utility for decentralized technologies.
Trillion-Dollar Infrastructure: The 2026 Outlook
The event concluded with a panel exploring the convergence of traditional finance (TradFi) and decentralized finance (DeFi). Stani Kulechov, founder of Aave Labs, highlighted Aave’s impressive growth. Its net deposits now exceed $70 billion. “To put that into context, that would be like the 35th biggest bank in comparison in the US, and we’re not thinking of being that end-user product. We think of Aave and DeFi as an infrastructure that is then embedded into these fintechs and traditional financial services that will distribute this,” Kulechov explained. This growth positions DeFi as a critical infrastructure layer, not just an end-user product.
Kiril Eves, founder of Unlimit, confirmed the undeniable demand for crypto services. His company, a global fintech leader, integrated crypto due to customer needs. Eves believes stablecoins will eventually replace traditional wire transfers entirely. “Everything’s going to be crypto. And of course, stablecoins would replace the classic way of wire transfers completely. That’s what they can be for us. This future is super clear. So that’s why we need we need to serve this industry,” he stated. Privacy also drives TradFi’s interest in blockchain. Marcos Viriato, CEO of Rayls, emphasized their focus on secure and reliable infrastructure for banks. This allows clients to benefit from tokenization without realizing its underlying complexity. This comprehensive 2026 outlook from industry leaders suggests a future where crypto is deeply woven into the global financial fabric, driven by continued institutional inflows and technological evolution.
