10 must-know blockchain trends for 2026 and beyond

1. Blockchain is proving its value as a technology

Although bitcoin, cryptocurrencies and digital assets dominate blockchain discussions, there's so much more to blockchain.

Blockchain is a decentralized digital ledger that stores records across a network of computers in a secure and transparent manner. Data is stored in a block, and the blocks are linked in a chronological chain – hence the name blockchain.

There are four types of blockchain networks: public, private, consortium and hybrid. And there are numerous blockchain platforms available.

The technology is used to write smart contracts, more effectively manage supply chains, and enforce intellectual property protections. Blockchain experts expect the technology to create even more applications and use cases in the future.

That makes the technology more valuable than is often recognized, said Martha Bennett, an analyst at Forrester Research.

"A key attraction is programmability (using smart contracts). Having the rules and attributes of an asset travel with the asset is a key driver for its adoption," Bennett said.

Others agreed.

"The technology itself is an excellent storer of value, and it has proven itself," said Brian Jackson, principal research director at Info-Tech Research Group. "It is an excellent system."

2. Governments are providing more regulatory clarity

The GENIUS Act, which Congress passed in July 2025, created a comprehensive framework for regulating stablecoins, a digital currency, and established rules for issuers, reserves, consumer protection and anti-money laundering compliance.

Singapore, the United Arab Emirates, Hong Kong and the EU have also taken legislative action in recent years.

Researchers expect the passage of additional regulations in the near future and, with those new laws, further clarity on standards and legal requirements.

Such government actions have an impact, as businesses feel more confident about innovation, investment and strategy when there's greater certainty around government policy.

Researchers at Grayscale, a crypto-focused asset manager, noted in the firm's 2026 Digital Asset Outlook: Dawn of the Institutional Era report that they expect "bipartisan crypto market structure legislation to become U.S. law in 2026. This will bring deeper integration between public blockchains and traditional finance, facilitate regulated trading of digital asset securities, and potentially allow for on-chain issuance by both startups and mature firms."

3. Government action could spur innovation

Government action could also spur more innovation, said Marc Lijour, an entrepreneur, researcher, educator and member of the professional association IEEE.

He pointed specifically to the Blockchain Regulatory Certainty Act introduced by U.S. Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Senate Banking Digital Assets Subcommittee Chair, and U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR). The bipartisan legislation clarifies that software developers and infrastructure providers who do not control user funds are not money transmitters under federal law.

Lijour said passage of that act would free technologists from the fear that they could be held responsible if their blockchain-related code is used for criminal activity.

The expectation is that the specific act and other such legislation action "will lower the barrier for innovation" around blockchain, Lijour added.

4. The tokenization of real-world assets is on

Interest in tokenizing real-world assets using blockchain continues to grow. Tokenization allows ownership of assets, such as real estate, racehorses and container ships, to be fractionalized and then bought and sold on the blockchain, according to Bennett.

"One of the most significant developments of 2025 was the Dec. 11 announcement by the [Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation] that – following receipt of a No-Action Letter from the SEC - its DTC subsidiary would offer a service to tokenize DTC-custodied assets, with rollout likely in the second half of 2026," Bennett said.

Others also see tokenization as a trend to watch in 2026.

Jackson said, "Major investment firms fully adopted it over the year, and we now see many billions of dollars of assets that are tokenized and traded. It's becoming a technology that will evolve equity trading beyond the market hours of 9 p.m. to 4 p.m. and allow trading to become a true 24-hour activity. Real-world asset tokenization has fully arrived, and I think we'll see it scale up in the U.S. and internationally in 2026."

5. The appeal of stablecoin is put to the test

The value of cryptocurrencies like bitcoin can fluctuate dramatically. Digital assets known as stablecoins are designed to maintain a stable price. They can do that because they're pegged to fiat currencies such as the U.S. dollar or to other stable assets, such as gold.

According to the Blockchain Council, an industry association, stablecoins include USD Coin, pegged to the U.S. dollar and running on the Ethereum blockchain, and the PayPal stablecoin, which is also pegged to the dollar. A benefit of stablecoins, besides their stability, is the ability to send and transfer money quickly.

Such benefits could boost their popularity.

"Stablecoins, arguably blockchain's true killer app, are poised to become a mainstream payment rail for cross-border transfers, merchant settlements, payroll and B2B flows," said Arthur Carvalho, associate professor of information systems and analytics at Miami University. "We're already seeing a wave of new issuers flooding the market, from traditional banks (like SoFi's bank-issued SoFiUSD and consortia involving JPMorgan, Bank of America and European players) to fintechs. This is enabling more enterprise settlement programs and treasury integrations (e.g., Visa's USDC-based 7-day settlement for modernized liquidity management). Recent regulatory advances, such as the US GENIUS Act and EU MiCA, are providing the much-needed global clarity on disclosures, reserves, and redemption rules."

Others aren't as sanguine in their outlook.

"2025 has seen a veritable stablecoin stampede, with many banks, payments players and technology providers all announcing some form of stablecoin initiative or capability, including two entirely new blockchains," Bennett said. "We'll have to see how this shakes out. Currently, there's no easy interoperability between stablecoins, and the proliferation of coins will lead to fragmented liquidity. Put bluntly, the world doesn't need that many stablecoins, and we'll find out in 2026 which are regarded as more worthwhile."

6. Mixed progress on blockchain for cross-border transactions

Swift, the secure messaging network connecting 11,000-plus financial institutions globally, announced in September 2025 that it will work with a group of more than 30 financial institutions to develop a shared digital ledger, with initial focus on real time 24/7 cross-border payments.

Using blockchain and blockchain-based tokens to reduce friction in cross-border transactions is another notable trend, Bennett said. "That's where blockchain remains in use, with the idea that it would be both faster and lower cost for cross-border wholesale transfers, which are bank-to-bank," she explained.

The existence of central bank digital currencies (CBDCs), which are basically digital money issued by a central bank, can play a role in this. However, Bennett said, "On the CBDC front, we see a mixed picture. No major economy has launched one; some countries (e.g., Norway) have decided that there's no requirement; the U.S. administration has prohibited the launch of any form of CBDC; and the European Central Bank is forging ahead with its plans for a digital euro.”

7. The integration of blockchain with AI agents

Another trend to watch is the integration of blockchain with AI agents to enable automated transactions.

"With AI agents that are being built to automate entire workflows, it makes sense that sometimes you'd want it to be able to spend some money to get things done, usually to access a digital service or for content," Jackson said. "Blockchain can give these agents a way to store value, execute transactions, and even verify identity and reputation on behalf of an individual or organization. Keep an eye on 'know your agent' as a new standard that's being examined as a concept of machine-readable identity."

Carvalho also sees the integration of blockchain and AI agents becoming more prevalent.

"AI agents are now in the very early stages of starting to transact with each other and with businesses, purchasing products, paying for services, commissioning work, etc. Blockchains (and especially stablecoins on them) become the neutral settlement layer for these machine-to-machine transactions," he explained. "In 2026, we might see some movement in this space, including further development of smart-wallet primitives designed for agents, including spending limits, policy engines, delegated keys, etc."

8. Customer experience is improving

Lijour said that as the use of cryptocurrency increases, there is a growing focus on improving the customer experience.

One such way is through "wallet-as-a-service," Lijour said. WaaS delivers a ready-made digital wallet that integrates with applications and platforms, making it easier for people to buy and sell cryptocurrency and other goods on Web 3.0 platforms. He said WaaS also smooths the user experience by addressing key management, security and infrastructure, thereby allowing users and organizations to use it for transactions without the additional steps those processes often require.

Still, there's much more to be done, Bennett warned. "Mainstream consumers don't care about stablecoins or blockchain – they just want the cheapest, fastest payment possible," she said. "Wallets provided by mainstream players are making it easier for consumers to access crypto assets. Work remains to be done to integrate stablecoins and other digital assets into enterprise systems or existing portfolios."

9. Blockchain isn't ready for quantum computing

Although many heralded blockchain as a revolutionary technology when it burst onto the scene, some now warn that its usefulness could be limited because it is not ready for quantum computing technology.

"This cannot be emphasized enough. None of today's blockchains are quantum-safe (well, none that are widely used)," Bennett said. "There's a lot of work going on to address the issue, but it's going to be challenging for many."

Jackson called out the quantum threat to bitcoin more specifically.

"The thoughts about quantum computing being a threat to blockchain at the end are true, but it's actually more of a threat to bitcoin than it is a threat to blockchain as a technology," he explained. "The real threat is to encryption keys - whether they are used to protect information on the blockchain or anywhere else - and when quantum computers are sufficiently powerful, the current encryption methods we use today will need to be migrated to a post-quantum cryptography standard."

There's a glitch for making that happen with bitcoin, Jackson said.

"With blockchains, where there's a group that is easy to build consensus with, that's no problem - and that's what you'd have in any enterprise deployment. But with bitcoin, since the network is so decentralized and there's no clear way to organize the migration, it is more of a problem, and we could either see a 'hard fork' split in the future or possibly the eradication of all value stored there if nothing is ever done," he said.

10. Decentralized AI training and inference become practical

Carvalho said he had been skeptical of the idea of decentralizing AI training and inference, citing technical hurdles in decentralized compute markets, such as scheduling, latency, heterogeneous GPUs, and pricing volatility.

However, he said a December 2025 analysis from Epoch AI makes a convincing case that internet-based, decentralized AI training and inference are feasible and worth watching in the coming years. Carvalho said the best use cases for this decentralized AI activity are likely in inference (when AI must provide a response) rather than in training models.

"Although I do not expect the blockchain networks in this space (Akash, Render, io.net) to go mainstream, I do believe they may experience substantial growth," Carvalho added.

Mary K. Pratt is an award-winning freelance journalist with a focus on covering enterprise IT and cybersecurity management.