By Leo SchwartzFormer Senior WriterDown Arrow Button IconBy Leo SchwartzFormer Senior WriterDown Arrow Button IconJanuary 8, 2026, 1:00 PM ETThe crypto industry is hoping to build on its momentous progress in 2026.The year 2025 proved to be the most consequential in the history of the crypto industry. After years of fighting for its survival in the face of hacks and growing regulatory hostility, crypto’s fortunes abruptly change. The Trump administration’s embrace of crypto, and the subsequent flood of interest from Wall Street and Silicon Valley, brought mainstream interest in the once fringe sector to a fever pitch.
In the latest episode of the Fortune Crypto Playbook podcast—available on Spotify, Apple, and YouTube—finance editor Jeff John Roberts and senior reporter Leo Schwartz discuss what this year will mean for the industry after its triumphant 2025. Despite the increased attention, crypto remains on a precipice, with the price of Bitcoin sinking below $100,000 and digital asset treasury companies underwater, even as banks rush to explore stablecoins and red-hot prediction markets employ blockchain technology.
Here are some storylines to watch in 2026:
After exploding to over $125,000 in 2025, Bitcoin ended the year on a down note, though it has since begun to creep back toward $100,000. With institutions buying up the popular digital asset, will retail traders follow?
