The crypto market develops in cycles, with intense highs and lows, but in a historical growth vector, reaching the current market cap of US$ 3.2 trillion in cryptocurrencies.
After the cycles of ICOs, DeFi, NFTs, and ETFs, 2026 points to a phase of institutionalization.
The current cycle is driven by two central catalysts: stablecoins and the advancement of regulation, both globally/United States and in Brazil.
The significant shift is from an unfavorable regulatory and institutional environment to a much friendlier scenario:
~ Regulation of stablecoins brings crypto to the light of the market → e.g., Genius Act, in the USA V Traditional financial institutions are already in →
JPMorgan launched crypto products in 2025
V Stablecoins have become payment infrastructure → already moving more than Visa and Mastercard
VIE new possibilities arise with the convergence between crypto and AI
In practice, the ecosystem becomes safer, more accessible, and more predictable for institutional investors and end users.
In parallel, the market is more diversified for those who buy and use crypto.
Today, 44% of the market is distributed among assets that go beyond Bitcoin: Ethereum, stablecoins, and more than 17 thousand coins, according to Coingecko.
Even so, Bitcoin remains dominant, with 56.7% market share and US$ 1.8 trillion in market value. This places it as the 8th most valuable asset in the world, ahead of companies like TSMC, Meta, and Exxon.
Sources: Coingecko, a16z, G1
