Five VC executives look ahead to crypto investment trends in 2026: cooling down the bubble and moving towards maturity and long-term development.

Following the global crypto sector's securing over $25 billion in venture capital funding in 2025, many investors believe 2026 will be a pivotal year for the industry, marking a shift from "narrative-driven" to "mature implementation." Several VCs from Coinbase Ventures, Galaxy Ventures, CV Labs, OKX Ventures, and Morningstar Ventures indicate that future investment will focus more on real demand, regulatory compatibility, and long-term infrastructure. Hoolie Tejwani, head of Coinbase Ventures, stated that perpetual contracts have evolved from simple price speculation tools into synthetic market vehicles for building real-world assets and macroeconomic signals. Coupled with clearer regulations, 2026 will be "more like a period of maturity than hype." Mike Giampapa, partner at Galaxy Ventures, believes that stablecoins and tokenized assets will continue to be the main drivers of long-term structural growth, with institutions replacing traditional financial tracks with blockchain. Francesca Conti of CV Labs points out that clear regulation is releasing institutional demand, and the penetration of blockchain in emerging markets and real-world industries still has room for expansion. Jeff Ren, founder of OKX Ventures, emphasized that capital will flow to projects deeply compatible with traditional finance, regulatory systems, and stablecoin payments, rather than short-term narratives. Petr Martynov, head of growth at Morningstar Ventures, added that opportunities in 2026 lie more in the application layer, especially in seamless DeFi consumer products and the role of blockchain in verification and settlement within AI and automation systems. Overall, many VCs agree that crypto investment in 2026 will be characterized by "less hype and more patience," shifting the focus from infrastructure races to sustainable applications, institutional collaboration, and real-world economic scenarios. (DL News)