Monica Long believes the crypto industry is entering what she calls its “production era”, a phase where digital assets move beyond experimentation and become embedded in core financial operations.
In a forward-looking analysis published on January 20, 2026, Long argues that by the end of 2026, roughly half of the Fortune 500 will hold crypto or tokenized assets on their balance sheets, marking a structural shift in how institutions interact with financial markets.
Stablecoins Move From Alternative Rail to Financial Backbone
At the center of Long’s outlook are stablecoins, which she sees evolving from niche settlement tools into foundational payment infrastructure. Rather than serving as parallel rails, stablecoins are increasingly being integrated directly into existing systems, a trend reinforced by major payment firms embedding them into incumbent flows. Long points to regulatory developments in the United States as a catalyst, arguing that compliant, U.S.-issued stablecoins are positioned to become the standard for programmable, always-on global settlement.
She emphasizes that the primary driver of this transition is not retail usage but business-to-business demand. As corporates face large pools of idle capital and rising pressure to optimize liquidity, stablecoins offer real-time settlement and improved cash efficiency. In this framework, stablecoins are less about speed alone and more about unlocking trapped working capital and modernizing treasury operations at scale.
Institutional Crypto Exposure Becomes Normalized
Beyond payments, Long frames crypto as an emerging operating layer for modern finance rather than a speculative asset class. She expects institutional balance sheets to hold more than $1 trillion in digital assets by the end of 2026, with participation extending across tokenized assets, stablecoins, digital treasuries, and programmable financial instruments. The shift, in her view, is already underway, as more corporates formalize strategies that go beyond passive exposure and toward active use.
She also highlights the role of market infrastructure in accelerating adoption. As exchange-traded products expand and custody solutions mature, barriers that once limited institutional participation continue to erode. This normalization, Long argues, will naturally extend into capital markets, where settlement processes remain fragmented and slow compared with what blockchain-based systems can support.
Custody Consolidation Signals Market Maturity
Another pillar of Long’s thesis is the evolution of digital asset custody. She interprets rising merger and acquisition activity as a sign of maturation rather than speculation. As custody services become more standardized, standalone providers face pressure to integrate vertically or diversify their offerings. At the same time, regulatory expectations are pushing banks toward multi-custodian models, reshaping how institutions manage operational and counterparty risk.
This consolidation is not limited to crypto-native firms. Long points to increasing overlap between traditional finance, fintech, and crypto infrastructure as evidence that custody is becoming a strategic anchor for broader blockchain adoption rather than a standalone service.
Blockchain and AI Begin to Converge
Looking further ahead, Long identifies the convergence of blockchain and artificial intelligence as a defining theme for the next phase of financial automation. She envisions smart contracts and stablecoins working in tandem with AI systems to manage liquidity, margin requirements, and yield strategies in real time. In this model, financial operations shift from manual processes to automated workflows that operate continuously.
Privacy and compliance remain central to this vision. Long argues that advances in cryptographic techniques will allow AI-driven systems to assess risk and creditworthiness without exposing sensitive data, reducing friction while maintaining regulatory safeguards.
A Structural Turning Point for the Industry
Taken together, Long’s outlook frames 2026 not as another speculative cycle, but as a turning point where crypto infrastructure becomes foundational. Stablecoins underpin settlement, tokenized assets appear on institutional balance sheets, custody anchors trust, and automation reshapes financial operations. In her view, the industry is moving decisively from pilots to production, with long-term implications for how value moves across the global economy.
