Author:Miles Deutscher
Translated by Jiahuan, ChainCatcher
In this article, I will break down my top 10 cryptocurrency predictions for 2026 in detail. These include my price forecasts for $BTC, top altcoin narratives, the potential of combining crypto with AI, and more. This is an exercise I do every year, and it really helps me calibrate my direction for the new year. Even if you disagree with all the predictions here, I hope this will inspire you to think critically and create your own list to prepare for the year ahead and capture the biggest upside opportunities.
10. Forecast a 5-fold growth in market trading volume
From January 2025 to today, the trading volume in prediction markets has increased by about ten times. I believe this trend will continue, and by 2026, we will see at least one month with trading volume reaching five times the current level. A fivefold increase in the current trading volume would equate to approximately $95 billion per month. Another factor to consider is the emergence of "adjacent protocols" built on top of prediction markets. For example, @into dot spaceThey are building the first leveraged prediction market. This trend will also further increase the trading volume.
9. The surge in perpetual contract trading for stocks/metals
The argument here is simple: we will continue to see the proliferation of perpetual contracts in the mainstream—not limited only to crypto token trading. 2025 will be the year when perpetual futures technology explodes on the crypto track—offering instant settlement, excellent UI/UX, decentralization, and more. Second, gold/metals/stocks are in a strong bull market. Typically, as a cycle approaches its peak, people chase returns by moving further down the risk curve (perpetual contracts are particularly well-suited to benefit from small-cap stocks/emerging markets).
In many cases, accessing through crypto-native channels is easier and faster than buying stocks or gold via traditional finance (TradFi) channels. Due to this compounding effect, I believe we will see explosive growth in the trading volume of stocks/metals on perpetual DEXs, and perpetual contract trading will go far beyond just trading in crypto tokens.
8. The "Renaissance" of ICOs is still ongoing.
Due to the significant shift in the regulatory environment, the public now has unprecedented opportunities to participate in token sales. Participation in ICOs is at a historical high, and I expect this overall upward trend to continue. If you are interested in profiting from ICOs, I recently released a comprehensive guide.Tweet GuideAlong with free Notion templates to help you stay organized in this area—you can check them out below.
7. Meme coins with strong revenue models will prevail.
The market's direction has clearly shifted, beginning to favor real businesses over mere speculation and hype. Of course, the latter will always have a place in the market, but an increasing number of investors (regardless of their size) are seeking true "flywheels" to support token prices (in a sea of token dilution).
I believe that protocols generating real revenue will continue to dominate. Simply put, protocols with genuine revenue mechanisms will develop more successfully than those without. Please focus on companies/projects/teams that are actually generating revenue.
6. RWA is about to experience its second-largest boom year in history.
I really want to say that RWA (Real-World Assets) will have its biggest year ever. However, technically speaking, it's difficult to surpass the $14 billion growth of 2025. I believe liquidity will continue to flow into this space, making it another bountiful year, but the growth percentage may be lower than in 2025. 2026 could bring many yield/tokenization opportunities and a significant amount of altcoin trading setups in this field.
5. Neobanks are becoming the fastest-growing segment in the crypto space.
I feel that we have finally reached a turning point in the crypto/stablecoin banking industry. Infrastructure has finally caught up with demand, and we are seeing explosive growth in the adoption of many products. The ability to easily and seamlessly convert between cryptocurrencies and fiat currencies in both directions is a long-awaited solution. This sector has the largest potential market (basically the entire financial world) and is actively addressing issues in developing countries and regions where traditional financial systems are less accessible. It's a huge market, and I expect that we will finally (truly) break through it this year.
4. The Real Return of AI / AI Agents
Last January, we experienced a wild AI hype season that drove up the prices of Crypto x AI protocols — the only problem was that the technology hadn't actually caught up yet. Entering 2026, the situation is different; the technology is now actually capable of delivering on the promises of the hype. For me, 2026 is undoubtedly the most critical year for AI so far (as it has been for every year), and as retail interest speculates on the upward potential of AI, this enthusiasm will easily spill over into the crypto space. Crypto x AI is a perfect synergy. Crypto brings the freedom of financial rails, while AI brings automation, and I believe this is the future of finance. I think this will create opportunities in many AI subfields, including x402, robotics, agentic workflows, AI data/infrastructure, and more.
3. The stablecoin supply increases by more than 50%
Last year, the total supply of stablecoins grew by 50% (from $200 billion to $300 billion). I believe we will see a similar increase in stablecoin supply this year, partly catalyzed by the further implementation of the "Gensis Act" in the U.S., which aims to regulate stablecoins.
2. Institutional investors will have a greater driving force in the cryptocurrency market than retail investors.
This entire cycle has been institution-driven (pushed by DATs, ETFs, etc.). I expect this shift toward an institution-driven market to continue—that's also why I focus on tokens/protocols that can attract institutional interest (going back to my point about focusing on projects with real revenue).
1. The price of BTC at the end of the year will be higher than at the beginning of the year.
Whether BTC will experience a "parabolic surge and crash" above $150,000 this year depends on many factors, including capital inflow/buyer demand, DATs (demand absorption tests), macroeconomic conditions, and more.
Frankly, I'm not sure whether the market can gather all the favorable conditions, thus triggering that most extreme scenario.Crazy Bull Market Reaches PeakPattern. However, I believe Bitcoin will close a bullish price candle by the end of 2026. This means $BTC must close above the $90,000 range.
Summary of my bullish logic (I may later post a more detailed analysis): We are likely in the final year of the business cycle, and we are seeing price bottoming patterns similar to those in previous years, which leads me to believe we will at least see a green close this year. Over the coming weeks, I will conduct a more in-depth exploration of my specific arguments—stay tuned.