In 2026, Web3 will shift from "speculation driven" to "value driven"

The most iconic breakthrough in the Web3 industry in 2025 is undoubtedly the large-scale popularization of stablecoins, becoming the first mainstream application case to truly land. Unlike the speculative nature of previous encrypted assets, stablecoins, with their characteristic of being linked to fiat currencies, effectively avoid pain points of drastic price fluctuations and gradually penetrate into various practical scenarios, completing the upgrade from "encrypted trading media" to "global payment infrastructure".

Data shows that by 2025, the annual transaction volume of global stablecoins will reach $35 trillion, with over 30 million active addresses on the chain. It has significant advantages in the field of cross-border payments, with significantly optimized transaction costs and arrival times. It is also widely used in scenarios such as corporate payroll, US debt settlement, and RWA transactions. At the same time, competition in the stablecoin market has intensified, with USDT and USDC leading the way, and decentralized stablecoin USDe rapidly rising, forming a diversified pattern. ​

The large-scale entry of institutional capital is the core symbol of the industry's turning point in 2025, completely changing the industry's funding structure. Previously, the market was dominated by retail speculative funds. However, since 2025, financial giants such as BlackRock and Goldman Sachs, as well as payment giants such as Visa and PayPal, have been laying out their presence. Professional investment institutions have also accelerated their entry, and Entr é e Capital has launched a $300 million fund focused on Web3 infrastructure. The entry of institutions not only brings financial support, but also drives the industry logic from "short-term speculation" to "long-term value", forcing projects to return to the essence of technology and demand. ​

The improvement of regulatory framework safeguards the healthy development of the industry. With the expansion of the industry scale, major regions around the world are accelerating their regulatory pace and building a suitable regulatory system. Clearly define virtual currency related businesses as illegal financial activities in China and strengthen collaborative supervision among multiple departments; On a global scale, countries are exploring a balance between regulation and innovation, guiding industry compliance development through compliance standards and regulatory sandboxes, reducing risks, and enhancing market confidence. ​

Standing at the starting point of 2026, the development logic of Web3 has undergone a fundamental transformation, officially entering the value driven "second half", with the core shifting from "concept hype" to "technology landing and entity integration". In 2026, the industry will present three major trends: firstly, RWA will become the core mainline, and the scale is expected to grow significantly; The second is the deep integration of AI and Web3, which reduces the threshold for use and reconstructs the on chain ecosystem; Thirdly, compliance has become a consensus, and projects without compliance and scenarios will be cleared. ​

Web3 enters the 'second half' and still faces challenges: there are bottlenecks in the implementation of core technologies, global regulatory standards are not unified, and illegal activities related to virtual currencies still occur. Overall, the popularity of stablecoins, institutional empowerment, and improved regulation provide solid support. It is expected that 2026 will be a key year for Web3 to move from a "niche" to a "mainstream", and more entity fusion applications will be implemented to achieve large-scale and high-quality development.