Core Insights - Financial advisors are increasingly allocating to crypto, reaching the highest levels ever recorded, indicating a significant shift in their perception of digital assets [2][5] - The survey reveals that 32% of advisors allocated to crypto in client accounts over the past year, up from 22% in 2024, marking an all-time high [5] - 56% of advisors now personally own crypto, the highest level since the survey began in 2018, reflecting growing confidence in the asset class [5] Allocation Trends - Among client portfolios with crypto exposure, 64% now allocate more than 2% to crypto, a sharp increase from 51% last year, suggesting a trend towards treating crypto as a core portfolio asset [5][6] - 42% of advisors reported having institutional access to buy crypto for clients, up from 35% in 2024 and just 19% in 2023, indicating improved access is driving adoption [5][6] Investment Themes - Advisors are particularly excited about stablecoins and tokenization, leading interest at 30%, followed by "digital gold / fiat debasement" at 22% and crypto-linked AI investments at 19%, showcasing the evolving narratives around crypto [5][6]

Core Insights - The Bitwise/VettaFi 2026 Benchmark Survey indicates a significant shift in financial advisors' attitudes towards cryptocurrency, with increased participation and allocation strategies being reported [2][3] Survey Findings - 32% of advisors allocated to crypto in client accounts in the past year, up from 22% in 2024 [5] - 56% of advisors now own crypto in their personal portfolios, marking a rise in professional ownership [5] - 64% of portfolios with crypto exposure have allocations greater than 2%, an increase from 51% in 2024 [5] - 42% of advisors can now buy crypto in client accounts, more than double the access seen in 2023 [5] - Interest in stablecoins and tokenization is at 30%, followed by "digital gold" at 22% and AI-linked crypto at 19% [5] - 65% of advisors believe Bitcoin prices will be higher in 2026, with 62% confident in Ethereum and 57% in Solana [5] - 99% of advisors with crypto allocations plan to maintain or increase their exposure in 2026 [5] - Advisors show a preference for index funds (42%) over single-coin options for potential ETPs [5] - Most advisors are funding crypto positions by reallocating from equities (43%) or cash (35%) [5] - Crypto equity ETFs remain the top choice for advisors seeking crypto exposure in 2026 [5]

Core Insights - The cryptocurrency market is characterized by a culture of seeking quick, high returns, particularly through memecoins, which have a failure rate of "99.99999%" according to Binance founder Changpeng Zhao [2] - Zhao emphasizes the importance of focusing on the technological potential of blockchain rather than chasing speculative investments [3][4] Group 1: Market Trends - There is a growing interest in tokenization and stablecoins, which are seen as having the potential to enhance market efficiency and revolutionize payments [4] - Zhao's comments reflect a broader awakening on Wall Street regarding the unrealized potential of blockchain technology [3][4] Group 2: Zhao's Background and Influence - Changpeng Zhao is the richest person in the cryptocurrency industry, with a net worth of $78.8 billion, primarily from his 90% ownership of Binance [6] - Zhao has transitioned to running Giggle Academy, a free online learning platform, and co-leading Yzi Labs, a $10 billion family office that funds Web3 projects [3]

Core Insights - Ingenico has partnered with WalletConnect Pay to facilitate in-store payments using stablecoins, aiming to integrate digital currencies into mainstream retail [1][2] - The integration allows merchants using Ingenico's infrastructure to accept stablecoins like USDC across various EVM-compatible networks [2] Group 1: Partnership and Integration - Ingenico's collaboration with WalletConnect connects its extensive merchant network with WalletConnect's multichain payment capabilities [1] - The rollout of stablecoin payments targets various in-person use cases, including retail, hospitality, transportation, and vending [3] - WalletConnect supports over 700 wallets and has processed more than $400 billion in volume in the past year, with a significant portion attributed to stablecoin transactions [5] Group 2: Consumer Experience - Consumers can utilize any WalletConnect-compatible wallet to make payments directly from their wallets, with transactions settling on-chain [4] - The integration aims to provide a familiar checkout experience at physical terminals, aligning with existing Web3 user behavior [5] Group 3: Industry Context - Ingenico has over 40 years of experience in payment acceptance and holds a significant share of the global POS terminal market [7] - The company is part of Worldline's payment services group following a multi-billion-dollar acquisition in 2020, enhancing its capabilities in the payment sector [7] Group 4: Future Developments - Integration for acquirers and payment service providers is scheduled for January 2026, indicating a strategic long-term vision for expanding stablecoin payment acceptance [6]

Core Insights - Polygon Labs is transitioning to a regulated payments company by acquiring Coinme and Sequence for a total of $250 million [1] - The acquisitions aim to simplify the management and transfer of digital assets for businesses [1][2] Group 1: Acquisitions and Strategy - The acquisition of Coinme, a payments platform, and Sequence, an infrastructure firm, is part of Polygon's strategy to build regulated middleware for blockchain solutions [3] - Coinme facilitates cash-to-crypto transactions at over 50,000 locations in the U.S., allowing users to purchase crypto using cash [4] - Polygon Labs views Coinme's service as a "Trojan horse" for onboarding new users to cryptocurrency [5] Group 2: Business Model and Revenue Generation - Polygon Labs is shifting focus from solely enhancing the value of its native token POL to generating revenue through these acquisitions [6] - The company previously raised $450 million in a funding round led by Sequoia Capital India, indicating strong investor confidence [6] - The native token POL is used for transaction fees and can be staked for rewards, highlighting its utility within the ecosystem [6]

Core Insights - The Western Union Company (NYSE: WU) is recognized as one of the 13 best dividend stocks, offering a yield over 6% [1] - Keefe Bruyette raised its price target for Western Union from $9 to $10, maintaining a Market Perform rating, reflecting a broader update in the payments sector rather than a specific change in the company's outlook [2] - The company is actively pursuing a digital transformation strategy to modernize its platform for online and mobile transfers, while also expanding its travel money business to diversify revenue streams [3] Digital Transformation and Innovation - Western Union is exploring the integration of stablecoin technology into its remittance model, particularly in response to the evolving landscape of cross-border payments [4] - The company plans to launch its own US Dollar Payment Token (USDPT) built on Solana, issued by Anchorage Digital Bank, aiming to enhance money movement across its network and improve internal treasury flexibility [5] - USDPT is expected to be available in the first half of 2026 and will be accessible through partner exchanges to facilitate distribution and usability from the outset [5] Company Overview - Western Union is a global provider of cross-border and cross-currency money movement, payments, and digital financial services, catering to consumers, businesses, financial institutions, and government clients [6]

Company Overview - Duolingo (DUOL) is a global mobile learning platform offering instruction in 40 languages and a digital language proficiency testing service, operating in markets such as the United States, China, and the United Kingdom [1] - BitMine Immersion (BMNR) is focused on Bitcoin and Ethereum, positioning itself as a long-term digital asset holder rather than a traditional operating business [2] Duolingo's Strengths - Duolingo leverages artificial intelligence (AI) and proprietary learner data to enhance personalization and user engagement, making AI a core product feature and a contributor to financial growth [4][5] - The company launched 148 new language courses in April, marking its largest expansion in history, showcasing its scalability in content creation [6] - Duolingo's current ratio is 2.82, indicating strong liquidity and the ability to meet short-term liabilities [8] - The company has surpassed earnings estimates in three of the past four quarters, with an average beat of 24.5% [9] BitMine's Strategic Positioning - BitMine has acquired over 4.1 million ETH and aims to hold 5% of the total Ethereum supply, currently controlling 3.43% [11][17] - The company transitioned from Bitcoin mining to building the largest Ethereum treasury globally, led by experienced executives [12][13] - BitMine's total crypto and cash assets exceed $14 billion, reflecting strong conviction in Ethereum's long-term value [16] - The company declared an annual dividend of $0.01 per share, becoming the first large-cap crypto-focused company to do so [18] Performance Comparison - BitMine's shares have increased over 298% since going public in June 2025, while Duolingo's shares have declined significantly [19] - The Wall Street average target price for BMNR stock suggests an upside of more than 61% from current trading levels [22] - BitMine is better positioned than Duolingo, which has a Zacks Rank 4 (Sell), while BitMine carries a Zacks Rank 3 (Hold) [25]

Core Insights - The use of stablecoins for property transactions in Europe has increased significantly, with transactions ranging from $500,000 to $2.5 million, indicating a growing trend among wealthy crypto holders to utilize digital assets for real estate purchases [1][2] - Brighty, a Lithuania-licensed crypto payments app, has facilitated over 100 property deals, allowing high-net-worth clients to bypass traditional banking systems for faster transactions [1][2] Group 1: Market Trends - There is a notable shift in the preference for euro-pegged stablecoins over USDC for real estate transactions, driven by the desire to avoid conversion costs when purchasing properties in Europe [4][5] - Brighty has reported an increase in average transaction sizes for euro-backed stablecoins, rising from €15,785 in Q3 to €59,894 in Q4, as wealthy individuals opt for Circle's EURC instead of USDC [4] Group 2: Industry Dynamics - The demand for crypto-enabled property transactions is growing as traditional banks remain hesitant to process such deals, creating opportunities for specialized platforms like Brighty [6] - Brighty serves between 100 and 150 affluent customers, with an average monthly spending of $50,000, highlighting the platform's appeal among high-net-worth individuals [2]

In 2025, US stocks rallied by over 16%. International stocks rallied by almost 30%, gold rallied by around 70% and silver rallied by a whopping 150%. Meanwhile, the crypto market fell by 10%.This therefore has everyone wondering, is there any point to holding crypto in 2026, or is it better to stick to last year's winning assets. And if there is a point to holding crypto, which ones make the most sense to hold. That's why today we're going to figure out what an optimized crypto portfolio for 2026 looks like ...

Core Insights - Cathie Wood, CEO of ARK Invest, has been notably quiet in the crypto space since the start of 2026, with no significant headlines or increased positions in her favored crypto stocks like Coinbase and Robinhood [1] - Wood's investment strategy often involves purchasing during market dips, as seen in her 2025 activities where she bought shares of declining crypto stocks [2] - On December 16, 2025, Wood made significant purchases totaling approximately $59 million, including $16.3 million in Coinbase and $10.8 million in Circle Internet Group, among others [3] - Despite Bitcoin's stability, crypto stocks experienced a decline unrelated to Bitcoin's price movements [4] Bitcoin Predictions - Wood has maintained a bullish outlook on Bitcoin, predicting it could reach $150,000 by 2030, especially after it peaked at $126,000 in October 2025 [5] - Following a flash crash on October 10, 2025, ARK Invest revised its Bitcoin price target for 2030 from $1.5 billion to $1.2 billion, attributing the change to the rise of stablecoins and gold's price performance rather than the crash itself [6] 2026 Investment Activity - The beginning of 2026 has not seen Wood making flashy crypto purchases, although she has adjusted her stakes in various assets [7]