2026: The Critical Year of Change for the 24/7 Capital Market

2026 is not just another year for cryptocurrency — it is the year when capital markets will undergo a fundamental transformation from the traditional model to a seamless, continuous system. Amid rapid advances in tokenization and regulation, the industry is focused on a critical intersection where prepared institutions and laggards will be clearly visible.

Tokenization: The Transformation of Capital and Efficiency

The biggest change begins with how the market perceives time and money. According to LMAX Group CEO David Mercer, capital markets are still evolving from a model established over two decades ago — where prices are discovered through access, batch settlement, and locked collateral.

“That foundation is crumbling,” Mercer says. With tokenization aiming to compress settlement cycles from days to seconds, the change is no longer theoretical — it is starting to become structural.

Market participants are betting that the tokenized asset market will reach $18.9 trillion by 2033, representing a 53% compound annual growth rate. But the real utility goes further: if the S-curve of adoption follows historical trends like mobile phones or air travel, 80% of global assets could be tokenized by 2040.

For institutions, the implications help reshape their operational readiness. Currently, onboarding a new asset class can take up to seven days due to collateral positioning and risk requirements in T+2 or T+1 settlement cycles. Tokenization changes this equation — when collateral becomes fungible and settlement occurs within seconds, capital reallocation becomes a continuous process.

The result is not just speed — it is fundamental efficiency. Stablecoins and tokenized money-market funds are becoming the connective tissue between asset classes. Liquidity previously trapped in legacy settlement cycles is unlocked. Order books deepen, trading volume increases, and settlement risk decreases.

Signals of Change: Regulation and Global Shifts

The regulatory landscape shows mixed signals, but the overall trend indicates change. Last week, the US faced challenges with the CLARITY Act, particularly regarding stablecoin yields — a point that appeals to traditional banks and non-bank issuers.

But while the US processes this, other regions are acting. South Korea lifted nearly a decade-long ban on corporate crypto investment, allowing public companies to hold up to 5% of their equity capital in crypto assets, limited to top tokens like Bitcoin and Ethereum.

Interactive Brokers, a major electronic trading platform, has begun accepting USDC deposits for 24/7 account funding. The broker plans to support RLUSD from Ripple and PYUSD from PayPal in the future, demonstrating growing infrastructure for stablecoin-based settlement.

The SEC has approved DTCC to develop a securities tokenization program that will record stock, ETF, and treasury ownership on the blockchain — a signal that regulatory bodies are serious about converging traditional and digital finance.

For institutions, this means the need for training. Operations, risk, and treasury teams must shift from discrete batch cycles to continuous processes. This requires 24/7 collateral management, real-time AML/KYC, digital custody integration, and acceptance of stablecoins as functional settlement rails.

Crypto’s Second Year: Building, Specialization, and Maturity

2025 can be seen as the first year of serious institutional participation in the US cryptocurrency market. 2026, according to CoinDesk Head of Product and Research Andy Baehr, should be the second year — the year for building, growth, and mastery of subject matter.

The past year was full of oscillation. The elation following election results evolved into tariff-driven market stress, pushing Bitcoin below $80,000 and Ethereum to $1,500. The second and third quarters saw recovery and all-time highs (ATH). The fourth quarter fell again, triggering auto-deleveraging events.

To avoid the “sophomore slump” in 2026, cryptocurrency must focus on three critical areas:

Legislation and Regulation: The CLARITY Act needs pragmatic compromises. Smaller points should be addressed, and important issues should be advanced.

Distribution Channels: The real challenge is building significant distribution channels beyond self-directed traders. Until crypto reaches retail, mass affluent, and wealth segments with incentive structures similar to other asset classes, institutional adoption will not be a performance driver.

Quality Focus: The relative outperformance of CoinDesk 20 (larger, higher-quality digital assets) compared to mid-cap CoinDesk 80 shows a trend: money flows directly into top platforms, protocols, and infrastructure. Focused diversification is more sustainable than fragmented altcoin chasing.

Market Data and Asset Correlations: New Signals of Change

Bitcoin and gold have shown historical divergence, but last week delivered a change. The 30-day rolling correlation turned positive at 0.40 — the first time in 2026 this has happened.

While Bitcoin reached an all-time high of $126.08K earlier this year, the current price of $87.88K reflects market volatility. Ethereum rose from $1,500 to $2.95K, indicating recovery in the second tier of digital assets.

The critical question: Will the continued rise in gold prices support Bitcoin, or will ongoing Bitcoin weakness confirm a decoupling from traditional safe-haven assets? The answer will provide a significant clue on how digital and traditional markets will converge in the future.

Pudgy Penguins: The New Paradigm of Web3 Consumer IP

Not only markets are undergoing change — the entire digital asset ecosystem and consumer engagement are evolving. Pudgy Penguins is emerging as one of the strongest NFT-native brands of this cycle.

The project has shifted from speculative “digital luxury goods” to a multi-vertical consumer IP platform. The strategy is straightforward: attract users through mainstream channels — toys, retail partnerships, viral media — then onboard them into Web3 via games, NFTs, and the PENGU token.

The ecosystem now covers phygital products (over $13M in retail sales and more than 1M units sold), games (Pudgy Party surpassed 500K downloads in just two weeks), and a widely distributed token (airdropped to over 6M wallets).

While the market prices Pudgy as a premium relative to traditional IP peers, sustained success depends on execution in retail expansion, gaming adoption, and deeper token utility. This exemplifies a broader shift: Web3 is not just about trading, but about building integrated consumer experiences with financial infrastructure and community ownership.

The Year of Choice: Are You Ready?

In conclusion, 2026 is not just another “year of market movements.” It is the year when three decades of capital market optimization will merge into a fundamental change. Tokenization, continuous settlement, and 24/7 liquidity are no longer speculative — the infrastructure is being built.

The question for every institution is straightforward: Are you ready for the change? Those who act proactively will find significant competitive advantages. Laggards will always be left behind.

For retail investors, the change means greater access and lower barriers to entry. The crypto ecosystem is growing not just in size, but in depth and sophistication.

2026 is beginning. The transformation is no longer in the future — it is already happening.