The Year That Determined the Turning Calculations of Financial Markets in 2026: 24/7 Markets and Tokenization Transformation

The coming year marks a critical turning point for global capital markets. 2026 will be the period when the decentralized and seamless market structure moves from theory to practice; This will require institutional investors to remake their acre calculations.

The Structural Transformation of 24/7 Markets: The Central Role of Tokenization

Today, capital markets still adhere to a model that dates back a century. Access-driven price discovery, centralized consensus mechanisms, and high collateral requirements form the foundation of the system. However, this structure is rapidly collapsing.

As tokenization accelerates and consensus cycles decrease from days to seconds, the market structure will fundamentally change. According to the analysis of David Mercer, director of LMAX Group, the growth of the tokenized asset market will exceed $18.9 trillion by 2033; This is calculated to represent a compound annual growth rate of 53%.

However, even this estimate is seen as conservative. As tokenization accelerates, it is expected that by 2040, 80% of the world’s assets will be blockchain-based. The market follows 50% compound annual growth like S-curves; like in the early days of mobile phones or air transport.

In a 24/7 trading market, it’s not just the hours that change. What has really changed is capital efficiency. Today, institutions spend days preparing before investing in a new asset class, with collateral positioning and compliance taking five to seven days. T+2 and T+1 settlement cycles (transactions are settled after a day or two) trap capital and create significant friction throughout the system.

Tokenization removes these barriers entirely. When collateral becomes instantly exchangeable, with liquidation occurring within seconds, institutions can continuously reallocate their portfolios. Stocks, bonds, and digital assets are becoming record-shifting components of a singular capital allocation strategy. The market is not closing, it is rebalancing.

This structure creates multiplier effects on liquidity. Capital stuck in old settlement cycles is freed. Stablecoins and tokenized money market funds are instruments that enable instant movement between previously separate markets. Order books are deepening, trading volumes are increasing; settlement risk disappears and transactions gain momentum.

Institutional Preparations: Restructuring Market Infrastructure

For organizations, 2026 is the year when operational readiness becomes urgent. Risk, treasury, and settlement operations teams must move from batch processes to continuous processes. This transformation requires seamless collateral management, real-time AML/KYC checks, integration of digital custody systems, and the acceptance of stablecoins as functional settlement tools.

Institutions that can continuously manage liquidity and risk will capture flows that their competitors, who cannot structurally do so, cannot miss. The transition of infrastructure, regulated custody services and credit intermediation solutions from concept to production has begun. The SEC’s approval of the securities tokenization program for the Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC) is a clear indication that regulators are taking this merger seriously.

Market Dynamics and Regulatory Developments in Early 2026

The developments that took place in mid-January reflect the rapid change of the sector. Interactive Brokers has started accepting USDC (Circle’s stablecoin) deposits, allowing clients to fund their accounts 24/7. It has been announced that Ripple’s RLUSD and PayPal’s PYUSD support will be coming soon. This indicates that major fintech players are integrating blockchain-based payment tools into their core operations.

A more important step has been taken in South Korea. After almost a decade of prohibition, regulators have allowed publicly traded companies to hold up to 5% of their capital in leading tokens like Bitcoin and Ethereum. This establishes the legal framework for institutional investors to gain direct exposure to crypto assets.

In the USA, negotiations on the CLARITY Act are ongoing. Disputes over stablecoin rewards—between traditional banks and non-bank issuers—have complicated the timeline. However, it is inevitable to reach a consensus to advance this critical law.

The UK is following a different path. Senior Labour lawmakers are calling for a ban on cryptocurrency donations to political parties, citing concerns about foreign interference in the elections.

One positive news is the increase in onboarding of new users on the Ethereum network. The network is seeing a significant increase in new addresses interacting with it; This shows that fresh participants are included in the system.

Bitcoin vs. Gold: Correlation Transformation and Market Signals

Earlier in the year, the correlation structure between Bitcoin and gold seems to have changed. As gold continues to set new records, Bitcoin’s 30-day moving correlation has risen to 0.40 for the first time this year and entered positive territory.

However, this positive correlation does not indicate a strong technical position for Bitcoin. BTC has failed to reclaim its 1-week EMA after a 50% weekly decline and has a weak outlook. The current price level is hovering around $83,850, with a 24-hour change of -6.56%. Ethereum is trading at $2,790, with a 24-hour change of -8.12%.

The critical question is whether a sustained gold uptrend will provide medium-term support for Bitcoin; or whether BTC’s persistent price weakness confirms a breakout from traditional safe-haven assets.

Crypto Market’s Second-Term Goals: From Infrastructure Maturity to Success

As Donald Trump begins his second presidential term, the crypto industry is abuzz with hope for a new era. 2025 marked the first year that regulatory uncertainties were replaced by legislative and structural advancements. In this context, 2026 is the second year; Now that the requirements of the first semester have been completed and the environment has become familiar, it is now the year of building, growing and specializing.

Over the four quarters of 2025, the crypto market has been volatile. There was a strong rally after the election, with Bitcoin reaching historical highs on Inauguration Day. Later, as a result of the tariff crisis and the subsequent impact, Bitcoin fell below $80,000 and Ethereum fell to $1,500. The second quarter saw a recovery; Records were broken in the third quarter. The fourth quarter ended in a period of loss of confidence.

For the crypto market to succeed in 2026, it must have three critical goals:

First, a legal framework should be established. The CLARITY Act and other regulations need to be finalized urgently. Discussions and technicalities surrounding stablecoin rewards should be put aside and consensus should be reached.

Second, Distribution must be determined. The cryptpoon’s most fundamental challenge is to create meaningful distribution channels beyond self-invested retail investors. Institutional acceptance will not translate into success without incentives to allocate to retail, mid-cap asset, wealth and institutional segments on par with other asset classes.

Thirdly, the Focus should be on Quality. The relative performance superiority of CoinDesk 20 (20 leading names) over CoinDesk 80 will continue. Larger, high-quality digital assets offer extensive scope for diversification and new themes without cognitive overload.

The sophomore year can be challenging and brutal, but it can also be unforgettably productive. This year offers the opportunity to choose a crypto major and make a more meaningful contribution to multi-asset portfolios and global market trading and risk management.

Long-Term Trends: NFT and Tokenized Asset Ecosystems

The example of Pudgy Penguins illustrates a pivotal development in the NFT market. It has evolved from speculative “digital luxury goods” to a multi-sector consumer IP platform. Its strategy begins by attracting users from mainstream channels (toys, retail partnerships, viral media), then onboarding them into Web3 through games, NFTs, and the PENGU token.

The ecosystem currently encompasses physical-digital goods (retail sales exceeding 13 million, over 1 million units sold), games and experiences (Pudgy Party passed close to 500k downloads in two weeks), and widely distributed token (airdropped to over 6 million wallets). While the market currently values Pudgy at a premium compared to its traditional IP counterparts, long-term success hinges on retail expansion, gaming adoption, and the execution of deeper token utility.

Conclusion: The Milestones of 2026

2026 is about to be the year when financial markets will fundamentally change their turning calculations. Tokenization, 24/7 markets, and institutional readiness are not just technical issues; it is a structural reparametrization.

The question is not whether 24/7 trading is taking place in the markets in 2026. The question is whether your institution can do this. If you can’t, you may not be able to take part in this new paradigm. The turning point is now the transition from theory to practice.