WEF 2026 flags crypto turning point as global finance shifts

The World Economic Forum 2026 is being held in Davos, Switzerland, from January 19 to 23. The forum recently released an article titled The digital economy at a turning point: What to expect for digital assets in 2026, highlighting a decisive shift in the evolution of digital finance.

The report says 2026 is shaping up to be a critical year for digital assets, spanning digital payment systems—such as cryptocurrencies, stablecoins, central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) and deposit tokens—as well as tokenised assets. All are underpinned by blockchain technology. 

The convergence of clearer regulatory frameworks, wider enterprise adoption and improved interoperability is pushing blockchain beyond experimental use cases towards becoming the foundation of a new digital financial market infrastructure.

The following trends illustrate how the landscape is changing and what global leaders should prepare for.

Rising regulatory clarity

One of the most important catalysts for the adoption of new technology is regulatory certainty. In 2025, significant progress was made in the global regulation of digital assets. 

Singapore and the United Arab Emirates were among the first jurisdictions to move decisively, while new rules—particularly on stablecoins—were introduced in Hong Kong, Europe and the United States over the past year. 

The US GENIUS Act has also prompted many countries to accelerate rule-making in this area.

Looking ahead, more jurisdictions are expected to introduce additional regulatory guidance. In the United States, the proposed Clarity Act focuses on the market structure for digital assets. 

Greater policy clarity is expected to support responsible innovation and give businesses the confidence to scale their operations.

The growth of stablecoins

The report notes that stablecoins are increasingly acting as a bridge between traditional finance and decentralised systems. As a result, transaction volumes continue to rise. In 2024, total stablecoin transaction value grew sharply, with around 92%—equivalent to roughly US$24 trillion—linked to crypto trading and on- and off-ramps.

While most activity still relates to crypto markets, other use cases are expected to expand further in the coming year.

At the same time, many financial institutions are exploring alternative digital payment options, including CBDCs and deposit tokens. Each form of digital currency has different strengths and limitations, and experimentation is expected to continue, leading to multiple digital payment systems operating in parallel for different use cases.

The rise of asset tokenisation

One of the most significant trends heading into 2026 is the acceleration of tokenisation. Although experimentation has been under way for more than a decade, momentum has increased markedly, particularly among traditional financial institutions. 

Larry Fink and Rob Goldstein of BlackRock have argued that tokenisation can significantly expand the universe of investable assets beyond today’s equity- and bond-dominated markets.

Blockchain enables assets to be represented digitally in a form that is fractionalised, programmable and tradable, improving liquidity, transparency and efficiency. 

A wide range of assets—from funds and bonds to real estate and carbon credits—are moving on-chain, with the potential to transform capital markets and broaden access to investment opportunities.

Convergence of TradFi and DeFi

The report also highlights that, as blockchain ecosystems mature, both Web3-native firms and traditional financial institutions are increasingly experimenting with digital assets. In 2026, the convergence between traditional finance (TradFi) and decentralised finance (DeFi) is expected to become more pronounced.

Several established institutions have already begun integrating digital assets into their core businesses. For example, JPMorgan has issued its US-dollar deposit token, JPM Coin, on a public blockchain, while Citi has integrated Citi Token Services into its 24-hour real-time US-dollar payment system for cross-border payments and liquidity management.

Across the value chain—from asset managers and market infrastructure providers to payment firms, fintechs and investors—blockchain-based solutions are being adopted to reduce friction, enhance transparency and lower transaction costs.

Why 2026 matters

Following the regulatory advances of 2025, this year marks a crucial phase for scaling the responsible use of digital-asset solutions. The period ahead is expected to lay the groundwork for fully leveraging blockchain technology, with entire asset classes potentially trading on-chain, reshaping capital flows, investment liquidity and the global financial system.

Companies and institutions may increasingly embed blockchain into core operations and balance-sheet structures, while global cooperation frameworks become clearer, setting rules for interoperable cross-border digital finance. 

Key priorities include interoperability, international coordination and public–private collaboration.

The report recommends that business leaders assess how blockchain can be integrated into their asset base, operations and capital structures. 

Investors and asset managers should examine tokenised assets and consider how they could transform investment processes or create new investable products. Policymakers and regulators are urged to focus on regulatory clarity to promote transparency, best practices and supportive frameworks for interconnected cross-border digital finance.

For technologists, the emphasis should be on designing systems with interoperability, privacy and resilience in mind, while contributing to standards and governance models that build trust and confidence among all stakeholders.