- Gracy Chen, CEO of Bitget, has shared her insights with Blockzeit on current and emerging trends that could shape the crypto market in 2026.
Bitget has significantly evolved from a mere crypto exchange to a universal exchange (UEX). Instrumental to this transition was company CEO Gracy Chen, who led the platform’s growth to over 120 million users.
Blockzeit recently had the privilege of asking Bitget’s top executive about her expectations for the crypto market this year. For her, 2026 marks a “structural shift” in the digital assets sector, characterized by its integration into traditional finance rather than operating in parallel rails.
End of the Crypto Vs TradFi Narrative
Chen believes 2026 is no longer about crypto replacing finance. On the contrary, their boundary has continued to narrow as they have gradually converged.
To illustrate this, crypto exchanges are already expanding on-chain access to equities, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), commodities, and indices. Meanwhile, stock exchanges, banks, and traditional fintech platforms are steadily integrating crypto trading and custody into their services. Their junction has paved the way for the arrival of digital asset treasuries (DATs).
What is happening now is that the new model is rendering the scrutiny of whether an asset has originated from crypto or TradFi irrelevant. Institutional investors have begun prioritizing project evaluation based on liquidity, settlement efficiency, and accessibility, regardless of origin.
In such a scenario, Chen stated that capital will increasingly flow through unified platforms. UEXs like Bitget reduce friction for users by eliminating the need to switch frequently between platforms, accounts, and operational frameworks when seeking centralized execution, on-chain settlement, AI-assisted trading, and compliant market access.
All the aforementioned will be on a single interface to address user preference for frictionless on- and off-ramps on crypto.
De-Dollarization, Stablecoins, and Payments as Core Infrastructure
Chen highlighted that crypto has matured from a mere speculative asset into a key driver of the payments sector. As such, crypto has carried over Bitcoin (BTC) inventor Satoshi Nakamoto’s vision of making it a neutral settlement layer for cross-border commerce, remittances, payroll, and treasury operations. Additionally, crypto assets, particularly stablecoins, are gaining considerable traction in these use cases due to the trend of de-dollarization.
With these in mind, Chen expects stablecoins to play a central role in global payments in 2026. It will be tailored to operate alongside multiple fiat references, reducing reliance on legacy correspondent banking systems such as SWIFT.
Chen noted that it’s no longer a surprise that the anticipated “altseason” didn’t arrive in 2025. This is because institutional capital does not scale into early-stage altcoins.
The Bitget CEO predicted that Initial Coin Offering (ICO)-like fundraising models could see a significant resurgence in 2026. This is due to market participants seeking decentralized startups with greater transparency and accountability.
Regulation as Enabler of Market Structure
Lastly, Chen noted that regulation is increasingly serving as infrastructure rather than friction. Clear frameworks for custody, stablecoins, and real-world asset (RWA) tokenization will serve as a beacon guiding the crypto market.
Likewise, the model would lower the barriers for institutional participation in on-chain markets.
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