Crypto Long & Short: 2026: The year institutions treat crypto as part of their core stack
In 2026, Wall Street is predicted to move beyond crypto wrappers to embed blockchain infrastructure into its core product stack, driven by technological readiness and integration fixes.Summary
Adeniyi Abiodun predicts that 2026 will be the year Wall Street fully integrates blockchain technology, moving from using crypto as mere wrappers (like ETFs) to embedding infrastructure directly into their core product stack. While institutional adoption accelerated in 2025 with large ETF inflows, the next step requires solving integration problems, such as robust identity management for custody and seamless API integration with legacy accounting systems like Oracle and SAP. The necessary technology for sub-second finality and scalability is ready, and protocols are addressing compliance hurdles. By mid-2026, these last-mile obstacles are expected to be resolved, leading to fully on-chain financial workflows, driven by market dynamics and client demand rather than just institutional belief. Separately, the market started 2026 energetically after Q4 2025's drawdown, with memecoins surging and Bitcoin accumulation continuing by major holders like MicroStrategy and Tether.
(Source：CoinDesk)