Research & Insights
Curated research from leading crypto firms. Stay informed on the latest trends, technologies, and market analysis in Web3.
Research Articles
The Crypto Theses 2026
Messari's flagship annual report analyzing seven core sectors: Cryptomoney, TradFi, Chains, DeFi, AI, DePIN, and Consumer Apps. Emphasizes a shift from speculation to systemic integration, with deep analysis of institutional adoption trends, regulatory clarity, and the path to mainstream crypto adoption in 2026 and beyond.
Read Full Report2026 Digital Asset Outlook: Dawn of the Institutional Era
Grayscale positions 2026 as the dawn of crypto's institutional era, with structural shifts driven by regulatory clarity and macro demand for alternative stores of value. Features Top 10 crypto investing themes including dollar debasement risk, stablecoin expansion following the GENIUS Act, privacy infrastructure, DeFi growth, and asset tokenization reaching critical inflection points.
Read Full Report2026 Crypto Market Outlook
Coinbase positions 2026 as a transformative year for crypto markets, driven by clearer regulation and accelerating institutional integration. The report compares the 2026 setup to '1996' rather than '1999', suggesting constructive growth without bubble conditions. Covers stablecoin market projections to $1.2T by 2028, DAT 2.0 models, and prediction market expansion.
Read Full ReportBig Ideas 2026: Part 3
The third installment of a16z's Big Ideas 2026 series, featuring 17 key predictions covering AI agents, stablecoins, tokenization, privacy, security, prediction markets, and SNARKs. Argues that privacy features will create stronger competitive advantages than performance improvements, with zkVM provers hitting 10,000X overhead enabling verifiable cloud computing.
Read Full Report3 Ways Crypto Goes Beyond Crypto in 2026
Explores how cryptocurrency technology is expanding beyond traditional crypto use cases in 2026. Examines the integration of blockchain into mainstream industries, real-world applications gaining traction, and how crypto infrastructure is becoming the backbone for innovation in fintech, identity, and data ownership.
Read Full ReportState of Crypto #16: Market Outlook 2026
21Shares' comprehensive 2026 outlook featuring ten bold predictions, exploring themes including institutional capital driving a new onchain era, Bitcoin's maturation as a macro asset, DeFi's rise through improved UX, tokenization's structural breakout, stablecoins surpassing $1T, and the emergence of agentic finance with AI automating capital allocation. Projects crypto ETPs to reach $400B by end of 2026.
Read Full ReportNavigating Crypto in 2026
Pantera Capital's strategic outlook identifying major catalysts for crypto success in 2026, including institutional adoption acceleration with examples like Robinhood's tokenized equities and JPMorgan initiatives, Real-World Assets expected to double, and 2026 positioned as a landmark year for crypto IPOs. Discusses how major fintechs like Stripe, Ramp, and Brex will increasingly rely on stablecoins for cross-border payments.
Read Full ReportThe Year Ahead for Markets 2026
Delphi Digital's comprehensive market outlook for 2026, analyzing the critical inflection point after two years of liquidity withdrawal and elevated policy rates. Covers macro liquidity pivots, the shift to Consumer Apps and the Global Money Layer, and predicts that perp DEXs will continue taking market share from TradFi. Notes the era of mass alt seasons is likely over due to increased competition and large token unlocks.
Read Full ReportThe Year Ahead for Apps 2026
Explores how crypto is closer than ever to a breakout consumer application in 2026. Analyzes the applications poised to onboard the masses, discussing improvements in user experience, wallet abstractions, and how Consumer Apps are becoming the new frontier for mainstream crypto adoption with better product-market fit.
Read Full ReportCrypto Sectors Quarterly: A Preference for Privacy
Quarterly analysis examining the growing importance of privacy in crypto markets. Discusses how privacy infrastructure is becoming essential, with zero-knowledge proofs, confidential transactions, and privacy-preserving technologies gaining adoption. Explores the balance between regulatory compliance and user privacy in the evolving crypto landscape.
Read Full ReportBitcoin Long-Term Capital Market Assumptions
VanEck's head of digital assets research provides long-term capital market assumptions for Bitcoin. Describes 2026 as a consolidation year rather than dramatic regime shift, with Bitcoin's four-year cycle remaining intact. Analyzes Bitcoin miners pivoting to AI/HPC, scaling from 7 GW to 20 GW by 2027, with 20-30% repurposed to AI workloads. Notes Bitcoin's Relative Unrealized Profit suggests mid-cycle positioning.
Read Full ReportMessari Crypto Venture Weekly: January 12-16, 2026
Weekly analysis of crypto venture funding activity, covering recent fundraising rounds, acquisitions, and investment trends from January 12-16, 2026. Provides insights into where capital is flowing in the crypto ecosystem, notable deals, and emerging sectors attracting venture attention.
Read Full ReportMessari Crypto Venture Weekly: January 5-9, 2026
Weekly digest covering crypto venture activity from the first week of 2026, analyzing funding announcements, strategic acquisitions, and investment patterns. Tracks how institutional capital and VC funding are positioning for 2026 opportunities across infrastructure, DeFi, and consumer applications.
Read Full ReportBig Ideas 2026: Bitcoin and Tokenization
ARK Invest's 2026 strategy targeting a $28T digital asset market by 2030 through Bitcoin institutionalization and tokenized assets expanding from $22B to $11T. Forecasts Bitcoin market cap reaching $16 trillion by 2030 ($761,900 per BTC), driven by digital gold narrative and institutional adoption. Notes U.S. ETFs and public companies now hold 12% of total Bitcoin supply, with $50B+ in spot ETF inflows.
Read Full ReportGalaxy Digital: 5 Crypto Predictions for 2026
Galaxy Digital's head of research provides five impactful predictions despite calling 2026 'too chaotic to predict'. Forecasts decentralized exchanges capturing 25%+ of spot trading volume, crypto-backed loans exceeding $90B, $500M+ in DAO treasuries governed by futarchy, leading wealth platforms adding 1-2% Bitcoin allocations, and Bitcoin reaching $250,000 by end of 2027. Options markets price equal odds of BTC hitting $70K or $130K by mid-2026.
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