I recently came across a market research report that made several predictions about the crypto ecosystem in 2026, and some of the viewpoints are quite interesting.

Let's start with the trend of BTC. According to options market pricing, by mid-2026, Bitcoin will either surge to around $70,000 or double to $130,000, with a 50/50 probability. The situation by the end of the year is even more extreme—it could drop to $50,000 or rise to $250,000. Such a large fluctuation indicates that the market is considering all possibilities for the coming years. However, there's a prerequisite: BTC must first stabilize around $100,000 to $105,000; otherwise, there is still short-term downside risk. But looking further ahead, it is expected to reach $250,000 by the end of 2027.

In addition to BTC, other ecosystems also have some interesting predictions. The Solana inflation reduction proposal SIMD-0411 is estimated to be withdrawn in the end and will not materialize. Revenue from application layers may double compared to network income. On the regulatory front, the SEC might face lawsuits from traditional financial institutions or industry associations due to innovation exemptions.

Financial structures are also changing. Major banks or brokerages will start accepting tokenized stocks as collateral. The market share of DEXs will exceed a quarter of spot trading volume. Prediction platforms like Polymarket are expected to maintain weekly trading volumes above $1.5 billion.

The US ETF market will experience explosive growth—with over 50 spot altcoin ETFs and more than 50 other crypto ETFs. Net inflows into spot crypto ETFs are projected to exceed $50 billion. Finally, more than 15 crypto companies will conduct IPOs or upgrade their listings in the US. These data suggest that the crypto market in 2026 will indeed undergo significant changes.