In a recent analysis report, specialists from the Coinbase platform took stock of the past year, while attempting to identify the three major trends to watch for in 2026, already identified as “a transition from theory to practice” for the crypto ecosystem.
Coinbase presents a “cautiously optimistic outlook” for 2026
After a year dominated by unprecedented regulatory openness in the United States and accelerated stock market and institutional adoption, analysts at the Coinbase cryptocurrency exchange platform have taken a look ahead to 2026.
The Trump administration has clearly paved the way for a new era of development for the cryptocurrency sector, which is now largely driven outside its initial ecosystem, with tools such as the tokenization of real-world assets and the proliferation of Digital Asset Treasuries (DATs).
This has allowed Coinbase analysts to present a “cautiously optimistic outlook” for the beginning of next year, thanks in part to a US economy described as ‘resilient’ and capable of acting as “a buffer against the slowdown in global macroeconomic indicators.”
In this context, we believe that the crypto market configuration in the first half of 2026 is more similar to 1996 than to 1999 (in other words, we are approaching next year constructively), while recognizing that there is still a great deal of uncertainty.
Coinbase
The year 2025 will also have seen a shift in decentralized finance (DeFi) towards a “tokenomics 2.0” model capable of “linking the economy of token holders to the actual use of platforms” with approaches such as cost sharing, token buybacks, and buy-and-burn mechanisms.
On the agenda: stablecoins, prediction markets, and perpetuals
Once the 2025 balance sheet was validated, Coinbase analysts turned their attention to the prospects for the coming year. The momentum is largely dominated by the implementation of the most popular use cases in the cryptocurrency sector, beyond the simple narrative impulses that had previously driven its market in a (highly) seasonal manner.
The first trend identified concerns “the composability of crypto derivatives,” particularly with the unprecedented rise of perpetual DEXs such as Hyperliquid (HYPE). Perpetual contracts have become fundamental elements within DeFi, connecting to lending, collateral, and hedging mechanisms.
As global retail participation in US equities continues its structural rise, we believe equity perps could become the preferred choice for a new generation of retail traders, combining 24/7 access with more efficient use of capital.
Coinbase
Next are prediction markets, which are expected to continue to grow in volume through 2026. This is particularly true with the prospect of associated aggregators emerging “as a dominant interface layer, capable of consolidating billions of dollars in weekly volume.”
Finally, Coinbase analysts identify stablecoins and payments as the third essential element in this ranking, particularly in light of the accelerated development of artificial intelligence (AI), whose agents are beginning to settle multiple machine-to-machine transactions, not to mention “cross-border transactions, remittances, and payroll management platforms .”
