Crypto Market Set for Major Shift in 2026 as Institutional Adoption Accelerates: Mercado Bitcoin
Brazilian cryptocurrency trading platform Mercado Bitcoin expects the global crypto market to undergo significant structural changes in 2026, driven by expanding institutional adoption, clearer regulatory frameworks, and the rapid integration of artificial intelligence with blockchain technologies.
According to the platform’s outlook, Bitcoin is poised to further strengthen its position as a store of value, with its market capitalization potentially reaching 14% of gold’s total market value by the end of 2026, up from around 5.6% currently. Such a shift could translate into a price increase of more than 100%, supported by growing institutional demand and Bitcoin’s rising role as a digital alternative to traditional safe-haven assets.
Mercado Bitcoin attributed this trend to Bitcoin’s ease of transfer and storage compared with physical gold, alongside increasing acceptance among investment institutions seeking diversified inflation hedges.
The platform also forecast strong expansion in the stablecoin market, projecting total market capitalization to reach around $500 billion, fueled by rising use in payments, cross-border transfers, and as a core liquidity layer within the digital asset ecosystem. Stablecoins, it noted, have moved beyond trading tools to become a fundamental component of digital financial infrastructure, particularly as regulatory confidence improves in major markets.
In addition, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) linked to alternative cryptocurrencies are expected to grow to approximately $10 billion by the end of 2026, following regulatory approvals in several jurisdictions and rising investor appetite beyond Bitcoin and Ethereum.