Duong of Coinbase Envisions 2026 as Year of Converging Crypto Drivers

David Duong of Coinbase has outlined a vision for 2026 where crypto adoption enters a new phase of growth. He identifies a powerful convergence underway, with spot ETFs, stablecoins, and tokenization all gaining traction simultaneously alongside regulatory advances.

According to Duong’s year-end commentary, 2025 provided the necessary groundwork. The introduction of regulated spot ETFs opened doors, corporate adoption of digital assets moved beyond theory, and stablecoins and tokenized assets began functioning within traditional finance rather than operating in parallel.

These trends are now positioned to compound their effects. Duong predicts this will manifest through faster ETF product rollouts, stablecoins becoming central to settlement mechanisms, and tokenized assets being used more routinely as collateral in conventional transactions.

Global adoption rates, though not exponential, have shown persistent and stable growth. Data indicates the worldwide user base has remained at a consistent level through 2023 and 2025, with only slight variations.

Duong suggests this plateau represents a maturation phase. The crucial element for breaking into a new growth curve, he said, was the regulatory clarity achieved in 2025, which has given traditional financial institutions a clearer framework for participation and investment.