Coinbase Institutional predicts that 2026 might be a big year for the crypto markets because rules will be clearer, stablecoins will be adopted faster, and the economy will be better overall. This comes after a year when the markets were more volatile than projected.
Coinbase Institutional’s 70-page report said that digital assets have expanded “from a niche market to an emerging pillar of global market infrastructure,” even though 2025 was primarily distinguished by price fluctuations and uneven liquidity.
Coinbase’s institutional arm thinks that clearer rules around the world will establish stronger policy guardrails that will encourage new ideas and the market’s long-term growth.
People think that 2026 will be a year of institutional integration and regulatory maturity, with clearer rules that make it easier for established financial companies to get part. This is instead of another boom-and-bust cycle driven by retail.
Coinbase Institutional added that big developments in US regulations, such progress on stablecoin laws like the GENIUS Act and movement towards a larger crypto market structure law, are two key elements that will affect the next phase of adoption.
These efforts will probably change everything from how institutions manage their portfolios to what they need to do to stay in compliance and manage risk.
Stablecoins are still one of the most popular ways to utilise cryptocurrencies, and Coinbase Institutional predicts they will become much more popular in the coming few years. Its forecast says that the stablecoin market may grow to about $1.2 trillion by 2028 as more individuals use it to make payments, settle debts, pay wages, and send money across borders.
But the outlook isn’t all good. Coinbase Institutional indicated that its view of the economy as a whole was “cautiously optimistic.” They claimed that the US economy has been more stable than recent data implies, even though growth may not be steady.
Inflation worries that won’t go away and the timing of anticipated interest rate cuts are still two big things that could effect the crypto market’s comeback in 2026.
Bitcoin’s price movements are changing
One of Coinbase Institutional’s primary claims is that Bitcoin’s price has varied a lot over time. The study found that Bitcoin’s price swings are now more like those of high-growth tech stocks than those of other major asset classes.
Coinbase reported that Bitcoin’s historical volatility over the past 90 days dropped down from levels above 60% in mid-2024 to about 35% to 40% by the end of 2025. Even if the market was going through big changes, such the approval and launch of spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds, the moderation still happened.
People that possessed Bitcoin had a lot of ups and downs in 2025, though. The price of the asset moved swiftly, reaching new cycle highs before dropping abruptly later in the year because of high leverage and forced liquidations in the crypto markets.
Coinbase Institutional said that 2025 will be a huge year for Bitcoin, but these kinds of changes have made people wonder more about how it works as a safe-haven asset.