🚦 To gain insight into 2026, Kitco Media interviewed numerous founders in the industry and identified the following key points: 1⃣ First, let's talk about Bitcoin. After peaking at around $126,000 in 2025, Bitcoin entered a sideways trading phase. There are no signs of a chart breakdown, but it's also unlikely to surge dramatically. Bitcoin is increasingly resembling a long-term asset that preserves value, influenced more by macroeconomic factors than by short-term speculative flows. 2⃣ When it comes to altcoins, the era of storytelling and grand visions is fading. What's getting more attention is protocols with real revenue. Simply put, the protocol is the underlying system that generates cash flow, while the Token is just the representation. Only projects with income derived from transactions, stablecoins, or real-world assets can retain Capital in the long term. 3⃣ Stablecoins are the biggest bright spot. Stablecoins are being used by many organizations and individuals for fast money transfers, payroll payments, and cross-border transactions. As regulations become clearer, stablecoins are no longer just tools for crypto enthusiasts but are becoming a global financial infrastructure. 4⃣ Finally, there's AI and security. AI is becoming less flashy and more focused on solving real problems. Security, especially against the risks posed by quantum computing, is becoming a mandatory criterion for serious projects. 👉 Those who only look at the price will find it boring, but those who look deeper will see that crypto is growing every day. Specifically, @santiagoroel (founder and CEO of Inversion) argues that the biggest surprise of 2026 won't be a rapidly soaring Token , but rather the market gradually realizing that many Layer 1 blockchains are underperforming simply because there's no real demand at the base layer. He said that @ethereum currently looks more like a mature platform than a growth asset. Despite its high recognition, its ability to capture value is problematic. The increase in adoption doesn't clearly benefit Ethereum, and this will be a disappointment for traditional investors buying ETFs or similar products, expecting Ethereum to be the "all-in-one" option for stablecoins and Tokenize. According to Santos, profits are shifting to the upper levels. Layer 2 solutions and application-layer protocols perform better because they are closely aligned with real-world operations and capture value directly from users. The Token that can be surprising are those projects that generate real, consistent revenue, especially those that benefit from stablecoins and on-chain Derivative . Revenue becomes the deciding factor. He also frankly stated that many Token fail not because of a lack of users, but because the value-generating mechanism doesn't function as expected. Therefore, he leans towards the possibility that crypto-related stocks will perform better than crypto Token , as they reflect growth more clearly. Ultimately, Santos argues that Bitcoin still has a superior chance of outperforming because it doesn't have to compete with AI-driven capital flows like the rest of the market. According to him, other assets are competing for the same group of risk-tolerant Capital , while Bitcoin belongs to a separate group.