CoinShares Outlook: Tokenization and Real Revenue Define Crypto’s Next Phase

Core Insights - CoinShares has released its 2026 outlook titled "The Year Utility Wins," indicating a shift from speculation to practical adoption of digital assets [1] - The report introduces Hybrid Finance as a framework where traditional financial institutions and blockchain infrastructure converge for real economic purposes [1] Market Developments - Stablecoins have evolved into genuine settlement infrastructure, and blockchain applications are generating consistent revenues [2] - The report states that "crypto is entering a value-accrual era" with platforms distributing earnings to token holders through systematic buybacks [2] Bitcoin Projections - CoinShares projects three scenarios for Bitcoin in 2026: an optimistic case exceeding $150,000, a base case trading between $110,000 and $140,000, and a bear case influenced by recession or stagflation [3][4] - The bear case suggests prices could range from $70,000 to $100,000 under stagflation conditions [4] Economic Context - The report highlights the erosion of dollar dominance, with the dollar's global reserve share decreasing from approximately 70% at the start of the millennium to the mid-fifties [5] Corporate Holdings - Corporate Bitcoin holdings have significantly increased, with publicly-listed companies rising from 44 in January 2024 to 190 by November 2025 [5] - Total Bitcoin holdings among these companies nearly quadrupled from 265,709 BTC to 1,048,520 BTC, with total value increasing from $11.7 billion to $90.7 billion [6] - MicroStrategy (MSTR) dominates this landscape, holding 61% of publicly-listed firms' Bitcoin after increasing its holdings from 189,150 BTC to 650,000 BTC [6] - The top 10 corporate holders control 84% of the supply, while the top 20 hold 91% [7]