CoinMarketCap's forecast for 2026:
— The market is maturing. The hype era around new L1/L2 blockchains is coming to an end, and value is now focused on applications that are truly in demand by users.
— Most new blockchains will struggle to retain users and create sustainable ecosystems, leading to the underperformance of their tokens.
— Staking and prediction platforms will become the key narrative of 2026. Success will be achieved by those who can establish better partnerships and attract audiences.
— DeFi is shifting from speculative assets to real income — protocols will start sharing profits with holders and buying back their tokens from the market.
— The real asset (RWA) sector is slowly but steadily growing — tokenized assets are starting to see real demand, although a mass boom is not yet expected.
— Applications are becoming more important than the blockchains themselves — convenience and interface quality are becoming key factors in the battle for users. L2s are turning into specialized solutions for specific products.
— No sharp bull market is expected in 2026.
