Cryptocurrency is often surrounded by the fact that the market is just speculation, and sooner than later the whole market is going to collapse on its own. Yet, as we go through the year 2026, my conviction remains steady as a rock, not because of some speculative hype, but because of the fundamental shift that is slowly happening from experimentation to realization.
In the early days, crypto was defined by its digital gold narrative and extreme price swings, which used to lead to some massive gains as well as massive losses. But nowadays crypto is defined by its usability and transparency. The rise of real-world asset tokenization is a prime example. Seeing major financial institutions move trillions in bonds, real estate, and commodities onto the blockchain proves that this isn't just a playground for retail traders, it is the next evolution of global capital markets.
In years past, institutional adoption was a maybe. Now, it is a reality. With the integration of spot ETFs and clearer regulatory frameworks like the GENIUS Act in the U.S., the Wild West era is fading. Large-scale corporate treasuries and Ivy League endowments are now treating Bitcoin and Ethereum as legitimate alternative assets. This institutional backing provides a level of liquidity and market stability that was absent in previous cycles.
Beyond finance, I am in it for the technology. In an age of AI-generated misinformation, blockchain provides a truth layer through cryptographic provenance. Whether it is verifying the origin of an AI model’s output or streamlining cross-border payments via stablecoins, the decentralized ledger solves problems that centralized systems simply cannot.
I haven't given up on crypto because the technology is quietly becoming invisible, meaning it is finally working. We are no longer just betting on a coin, we are betting on the future architecture of the internet and finance. Plus, it is definitely an added benefit that I also make some money in crypto from time to time.
