Crypto in 2026: Domestic policies will be key

Bengaluru: In 2025, the crypto market witnessed many positive developments from Bitcoin (BTC) reaching an all-time high of above $126,000, to positive developments on the regulatory side in the US. Crypto exchanges reported an increase in the number of users, and tokenisation moved beyond the conceptual stage during the year. Experts said that domestic policies for countries will be key in shaping investor sentiment in 2026.

Delta Exchange CEO & Co-Founder Pankaj Balani said, 2025 was a historic year for BTC and the crypto markets, marking the transition of crypto from an unorganised asset class to one recognised as an institutional asset class structurally integrated into global finance.

Some positive developments include the GENIUS Act and CLARITY Act that provided significant clarity to investors. “Bitcoin and Ether ETFs, along with digital asset treasury companies, saw strong inflows, with institutional investors now holding close to 30% of the available Bitcoin supply. Rising institutional participation also spurred demand for risk management and hedging instruments such as futures and options, accelerating growth in the derivatives market,” he said.

Giottus.com CEO Vikram Subburaj said by 2026, crypto is expected to increasingly resemble a maturing financial market with a more transparent structure and stronger institutional participation. “The shift is evident in how capital now enters, exits, and settles across the ecosystem. Despite bouts of volatility in 2025, Bitcoin repeatedly found support near the $90,000 zone. This reflects deeper liquidity and a more institutional price-discovery process. Another clear structural marker is the scale of regulated inflows,” he said.

Data show that Spot Bitcoin ETFs attracted more than $6 billion in net inflows in a single month, taking total assets to more than $70 billion. “This indicates that long-term capital is increasingly participating through compliant channels,” he added.

Binance Head of APAC SB Seker is of the view that the digital asset industry is transitioning from experimentation to deeper financial integration and maturity. Innovation, regulation, and market infrastructure are increasingly aligned, reshaping global market dynamics.

According to him, clearer regulations and rising institutional participation will reshape the crypto landscape further. In 2026, the industry is set to move beyond hype and speculation toward delivering real, lasting value.

As far as India is concerned, the foundation stone of the CBDC (Central Bank Digital Currency) project could be laid soon. WazirX Founder Nischal Shetty said a clearer regulatory framework for VDAs (Virtual Digital Assets), potentially paired with supportive tax measures, support for stablecoin initiatives alongside CBDC measures, could unlock real-world blockchain use cases from Indian builders to kickstart on-chain growth for Indians.

“While 2025 wasn’t a clean breakout year, it was undeniably transformative. Infrastructure matured, institutional participation widened, and policy debates sharpened worldwide. In 2026, globally, institutional appetite for regulated digital-asset products will continue to increase, driving capital inflows and contributing to market stability. At the same time, domestic policies for countries will be key in shaping their respective investor sentiment,” Shetty added.