As we step into 2026, the crypto trade stands at an inflection level. The regulatory fog that lengthy shrouded digital property is lastly lifting, institutional gamers are transferring from the sidelines onto the sphere, and the very definition of what constitutes an “asset” is being rewritten.
Few individuals have a greater vantage level on these shifts than Yat Siu, co-founder and govt chairman of Animoca Manufacturers. BeInCrypto sat down with Siu to debate what the brand new 12 months holds for Web3—and why he believes corporations face a stark selection: tokenize or die.
A New Yr, A New Period for Altcoins
Siu acknowledges that Bitcoin has earned its place as “digital gold,” however as 2026 begins, he sees the actual motion occurring elsewhere. “Most individuals don’t enter crypto by shopping for Bitcoin,” he observes. “They arrive in by tokens that provide some sort of utility—whether or not that’s DeFi, gaming, NFTs, or one thing else totally.”
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He attracts a parallel to conventional markets: no single firm comes near gold’s market cap, but the worldwide inventory market dwarfs it many occasions over. “The identical dynamic is taking form in crypto. And what excites me about this 12 months is that the alternatives aren’t simply in new token launches anymore—they’re in tokens which have already confirmed themselves.”
It’s a sample Siu has seen earlier than. “Take into consideration what occurred after the dotcom crash. Amazon, Microsoft, Apple, Netease—they didn’t disappear. They got here again stronger. I consider 2026 will mark the start of an analogous resurgence for established Web3 gamers.”
The Yr Regulatory Readability Lastly Arrives
If there’s one growth Siu is watching carefully this 12 months, it’s the destiny of the CLARITY Act within the US Congress. Constructing on the muse laid by the GENIUS Act for stablecoins, the CLARITY Act goals to ascertain clear jurisdictional boundaries between the SEC and CFTC over digital property.
“I’m assured the CLARITY Act will go in 2026,” Siu says. “And when it does, it’ll set off a wave of tokenization we’ve by no means seen earlier than—from Fortune 500 corporations all the way down to small companies. The uncertainty that’s held so many gamers again will lastly be lifted.”
He sees this regulatory readability as the important thing that unlocks company adoption at scale. “Firms have been ready on the sidelines, not as a result of they don’t see the potential, however as a result of they couldn’t navigate the authorized ambiguity. This 12 months, that concern disappears.”
Establishments Transfer from Spectators to Individuals
The introduction of crypto ETFs lately marked a turning level, however Siu believes 2026 will likely be remembered because the 12 months institutional adoption shifted from experiment to technique. “What we’re seeing now could be just the start. RWAs and stablecoins will lead the narrative for institutional gamers this 12 months.”
Actual-world asset (RWA) tokenization, specifically, holds transformative potential. “RWAs provide one thing crypto has all the time promised however struggled to ship at scale: real monetary inclusion. We’re speaking about crypto wallets for the unbanked, entry to yield-generating merchandise that had been beforehand reserved for the rich. That is the 12 months these guarantees begin turning into actuality.”
Present estimates recommend tokenized RWAs may attain $30 trillion inside the coming decade. The adoption of institutional-grade frameworks, such because the EU’s MiCA regulation, is giving main banks and asset managers the boldness they should have interaction with public blockchains. “The infrastructure is prepared. The rules are coming into place. Now it’s about execution.”
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The Put up-Crash Playbook Repeats
Siu sees clear parallels between the present second and the years following the dotcom bust. “The funding cycle has essentially developed. In Web3’s early days, the most important alternatives had been in hotly anticipated token launches. That’s now not the case.”
As we speak, investing in tokens with liquidity and market presence is turning into the norm. “After the dotcom crash, corporations like Amazon, Microsoft, Yahoo, and eBay didn’t simply survive—they turned vastly bigger. The identical sample will repeat in Web3, however with a twist: we’ll additionally see main tech gamers—the Googles and Metas of the world—getting into the area in significant methods.”
This shift calls for a special talent set from buyers. “The scenario is way extra nuanced now. Succeeding on this atmosphere requires better analytical capabilities. The straightforward cash from merely catching the subsequent scorching launch is essentially gone.”
“Every thing Will Turn out to be an Asset Class”
When requested about his boldest prediction for the years forward, Siu doesn’t hesitate: “Every thing will grow to be an asset class by tokenization. Mental property, royalties, promoting stock—if it has worth, it will likely be tokenized.”
He acknowledges that tokenized RWAs stay fragmented throughout chains and marketplaces at present, however sees consolidation and development forward. “The expertise is prepared. What’s been lacking is regulatory readability and institutional confidence. Each of these items are falling into place.”
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There’s additionally a generational dimension to this shift. “Crypto is turning into the asset class of youthful generations, simply because the web and social media outlined earlier generational divides. Any firm that wishes to achieve that viewers successfully will want methods that incorporate tokenization. It’s not elective anymore.”
Blockchain Fades Into the Background
One in all Siu’s extra counterintuitive predictions is that blockchain expertise will grow to be invisible to most customers. “Take into consideration digital music. We used to say ‘MP3’ or ‘digital obtain.’ Now we simply say ‘music.’ The expertise light into the background. The identical factor is going on with blockchain.”
He factors to prediction markets for example. “They run on crypto rails, however customers don’t care in regards to the backend. They care in regards to the service. That’s the mannequin for mainstream adoption: ship worth, and let the blockchain do its work invisibly.”
This sensible strategy opens doorways throughout industries. “Gaming with in-game property as NFTs. Yield-generating merchandise accessible to on a regular basis customers. Sooner funds. Digital possession. These use instances will deliver conventional customers into crypto-based providers—not as a result of they’re enthusiastic about blockchain, however as a result of the providers are merely higher.”
From Crypto Natives to the Crypto Curious
Siu predicts a big shift in crypto’s audience this 12 months. “2026 will see the emphasis transfer from crypto natives to the crypto curious. And from leisure to utility and worth.”
Memecoins, he argues, had been a product of regulatory ambiguity. “Till now, memecoin launches have been focused squarely at crypto natives. They weren’t designed to attraction to mainstream customers.” However as friendlier regulatory frameworks take form globally, that dynamic is altering.
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“Beneath clearer rules, tasks can focus on their worth proposition brazenly. They don’t have to cover behind the memecoin label anymore. The CLARITY Act will speed up this development—tokens will likely be judged on their precise utility, and people with out actual worth will wrestle to outlive.”
Monetary Literacy Turns into Important
As we glance towards the remainder of 2026 and past, Siu sees monetary literacy rising as a crucial talent. “Crypto is already fixing actual issues—lowering remittance prices, enhancing entry to yield era, enabling participation in alternatives that had been beforehand gated.”
He expects crypto to penetrate deeper into on a regular basis monetary infrastructure. “Pupil loans, shopper credit score, ultimately unsecured lending—crypto will grow to be embedded within the monetary options that have an effect on peculiar individuals’s lives.”
This mirrors the digital literacy revolution of the Nineteen Nineties and 2000s. “Again then, companies needed to grow to be digitally literate or danger irrelevance. Customers adopted. The identical sample is taking part in out now with monetary literacy. Tokenization results in financialization, and individuals who develop monetary literacy may have entry to considerably better alternatives.”
Tokenize or Die
Siu closes with a message that doubles as each a warning and a rallying cry for the 12 months forward.
“Firms that don’t tokenize their property—making them accessible to AI methods and Web3 liquidity—will grow to be much less related. We noticed this film earlier than: conventional companies that ignored the web misplaced to opponents like Amazon and Steam. The identical destiny awaits corporations that ignore tokenization.”
He pauses, then delivers the road that has grow to be one thing of a private mantra: “Tokenize or die. That’s not a prediction for some distant future. That’s the truth of 2026.”