Haseeb Qureshi, a managing companion at crypto-focused enterprise agency Dragonfly, says 2026 is shaping as much as be a yr when crypto’s long-running traits assert themselves relatively than reset, even when markets ship sharp strikes in each instructions.
In a Dec. 29 put up on X, Qureshi outlined a wide-ranging outlook that displays a broader investor reassessment after a number of risky cycles, with sturdiness, distribution and real-world utilization taking priority over speedy experimentation.
Markets and blockchains
Qureshi expects bitcoin to complete 2026 above $150,000, whereas accounting for a smaller share of the general crypto market. He framed that mixture as an indication that exercise elsewhere might broaden with out displacing bitcoin’s position because the sector’s anchor asset.
He was extra skeptical about newer, fintech-branded blockchains, arguing that latest enthusiasm is unlikely to translate into sustained utilization. In his view, key indicators resembling pockets engagement, stablecoin flows and tokenized asset adoption will fall wanting expectations.
As a substitute, Qureshi expects developer exercise to stay targeting infrastructure that prioritizes neutrality and composability. Inside that framework, he sees Ethereum and Solana persevering with to outperform relative to expectations, whilst newer networks compete for consideration.
He additionally anticipates deeper company involvement, notably within the funds and monetary companies sectors. Qureshi predicts that not less than one main expertise firm will both launch or purchase a crypto pockets, whereas extra Fortune 100 corporations deploy blockchain programs tied to banking and fintech operations. He highlighted Avalanche and a number of other rollup frameworks as platforms positioned to profit from that development.
Market construction and DeFi
In decentralized finance, Qureshi expects market construction to evolve towards consolidation relatively than fragmentation. He predicts {that a} small variety of dominant venues will seize nearly all of on-chain perpetual futures buying and selling, with smaller platforms competing over the shrinking the rest.
He additionally sees product innovation reshaping buying and selling habits, notably by derivatives codecs and liquidity mechanisms that emphasize negotiated execution over open order books. On the identical time, he warned that rising sophistication might convey reputational dangers, predicting that not less than one insider buying and selling controversy linked to DeFi would draw mainstream scrutiny.
Funds and stablecoins
Qureshi’s strongest conviction facilities on funds infrastructure. He expects stablecoin provide to broaden sharply in 2026, whereas remaining overwhelmingly dollar-denominated, whilst particular person issuers compete for market share.
Reasonably than focusing solely on issuance, he emphasised distribution, arguing that new cost rails will speed up adoption much more rapidly than earlier cycles. In his view, these channels will play a central position in bringing stablecoins into on a regular basis use, notably in rising markets.
Regulation and politics
On the coverage entrance, Qureshi expects U.S. lawmakers to advance a crypto market construction invoice in 2026 following intensive negotiation. Whereas he sees progress as possible, he cautioned that the ultimate end result might go away elements of the business dissatisfied.
He additionally predicted heightened political scrutiny tied to crypto ventures linked to U.S. politics, warning that congressional investigations might expose questionable dealmaking and create reputational fallout for contributors.
Prediction markets, AI and safety
Qureshi expects prediction markets to broaden quickly as cultural acceptance grows, whilst authorized uncertainty persists. He anticipates {that a} small variety of consumer-facing platforms will garner essentially the most consideration, whereas nearly all of copycat efforts will fail to achieve traction.
In synthetic intelligence (AI), Qureshi argued crypto’s near-term features will stay concentrated in developer tooling and safety relatively than shopper automation. He expects smaller groups to ship more and more advanced merchandise utilizing AI-driven workflows, whereas cybersecurity improves by automated monitoring, whilst assault makes an attempt proceed.
Qureshi disclosed that he invests in most of the belongings talked about within the put up.