From "Is it necessary" to "How to build," the key turning point of the 2026 crypto market has arrived

According to the latest news, André Casterman, founder of Casterman Advisory, stated that 2026 will become a critical inflection point for the crypto market. He pointed out that the industry’s core focus has undergone a fundamental shift: from the past years’ debate over “whether crypto is necessary” to now focusing on “how to build new financial infrastructure.” This shift reflects an important signal that the industry is moving from the exploration phase into the practical application phase.

Turning Point in Industry Perception

From “whether” to “how”

Past discussions in the crypto market often centered on value proof—whether cryptocurrencies and blockchain are truly useful. Today, this question is no longer the focus. Observations show that the industry’s attention has shifted to practical applications:

• Tokenization and digital assets transitioning from pilot projects to regulated production deployments
• Central banks and financial institutions worldwide adopting a “wholesale first” strategy
• Infrastructure such as regulated stablecoins (like USDC, RLUSD) being improved

Market Position of Stablecoins

As representatives of regulated stablecoins, USDC currently has a market cap of $7.262 billion, ranking 6th among cryptocurrency market caps. This reflects the increasing recognition of compliant digital assets in the market.

The Key Role of Regulatory Frameworks

Unified “Wholesale First” Strategy

Central banks worldwide have reached a consensus on central bank digital currencies (CBDCs), tokenized deposits, and regulated stablecoins, adopting a “wholesale first” approach. This means:

Upcoming Legislation

According to reports, legislation for the crypto market structure is imminent, which will provide clear legal support for institutional applications. Once the regulatory framework is established, banks are expected to increase investments in crypto trading, tokenized assets, and related areas.

New Infrastructure Development Landscape

Diversification of Digital Currencies

The future financial system will feature a multi-track approach:

• CBDCs as official digital currencies
• Regulated stablecoins as the commercial application layer
• Tokenized assets as a new form of assets
• Blockchain serving as a parallel financial track

The Intermediary Role of Banks

In this new landscape, banks will not be replaced but will continue to play an intermediary role. They will:

• Integrate different forms of digital currencies
• Provide tokenized asset services to clients
• Conduct business within a clear regulatory framework

Key Changes in 2026

From Casterman’s perspective, the crypto market in 2026 will feature several notable characteristics:

• Regulatory Clarity: Legislation will clear obstacles for institutional applications
• Accelerated Adoption: Transition from pilot to production will speed up
• Institutional Participation: Banks and financial institutions will significantly increase their investments
• Infrastructure Maturity: Infrastructure such as stablecoins and CBDCs will become more developed

These changes indicate that the crypto market is shifting from a speculative-driven to a utility-driven phase.

Summary

2026 is indeed a critical inflection point for the crypto market, but the essence of this turning point is not a surge in prices, rather a fundamental shift in industry perception and application direction. Moving from “whether we need crypto” to “how to build new financial infrastructure,” this transition marks the industry’s move from debate to construction. The improvement of regulatory frameworks, maturation of infrastructure like stablecoins, and large-scale institutional participation are collectively driving the crypto market into a new stage of development. For market participants, the key is to understand this directional shift rather than blindly chase price fluctuations.