The Edge Podcast Our 2026 Crypto Playbook: 7 Predictions For The Year Ahead
Jan 14, 2026
Explore the fascinating trends from 2025, highlighting Bitcoin's dominance and the unexpected surge in institutional adoption. Discover predictions for 2026, including stablecoins potentially reaching $1 trillion and Ethereum's continued outperformance. Dive into the impact of the Clarity Act on digital asset rules and how DeFi is maturing as it values revenues over traditional metrics. The discussion also touches on the emerging role of agentic finance and the revolutionary potential of tokenized real-world assets.
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Bitcoin Dominance Reshaped The Cycle
- Bitcoin dominance stayed structurally high in 2025 and prevented an altcoin rally from materializing.
- That shift reflected huge institutional inflows and changed cycle dynamics for the whole market.
Institutions Broke Traditional Signals
- Institutional adoption in 2025 far surpassed expectations, driven largely by spot ETFs for Bitcoin and ETH.
- Traditional on-chain cycle indicators that worked before largely failed this cycle, suggesting new market mechanics.
Stablecoins Anchored Activity On Ethereum
- Stablecoin supply grew meaningfully in 2025 and concentrated on Ethereum as the primary host.
- That liquidity is already reshaping where DeFi activity and revenues concentrate.