A Dragonfly VC predicts a Big Tech crypto wallet, a stronger BTC, the growth of stablecoins, and stricter DeFi regulations that will reshape institutional and retail crypto usage by 2026.
Summary
- Haseeb Qureshi expects that a major platform like Google, Meta or Apple will add a native crypto wallet by 2026, immediately exposing billions of users to digital assets.
- He predicts that Bitcoin will gain, but its dominance will decline as Ethereum and Solana remain the main DeFi rails while weaker fintech L1s compete for users and liquidity.
- Qureshi sees stablecoin supply rising, MiCA-style rules tightening oversight of DeFi, and multiple crypto companies – including Kraken, Consensys and BitGo – targeting IPOs in 2026.
According to a prediction by a prominent venture capital manager, a major tech company will launch cryptocurrency wallet integration by 2026, potentially giving billions of users access to digital assets.
Haseeb Qureshi, managing partner of crypto firm Dragonfly, made the prediction in December as part of his outlook for cryptocurrency and artificial intelligence developments in 2026, according to industry reports.
Although Qureshi did not name the specific company, potential candidates include Google, Meta or Apple, according to market analysts. The integration would provide direct access to cryptocurrency through existing global platforms.
Qureshi also predicted that more Fortune 100 companies will deploy proprietary blockchains, with adoption concentrated in the banking and fintech sectors. According to his analysis, these companies are expected to prefer permissioned systems connected to public blockchains.
Avalanche could emerge as a preferred base layer for enterprise adoption, Qureshi said. Companies can use development toolkits including OP Stack, Orbit and ZK Stack, which enable the operation of private networks while maintaining public blockchain interoperability.
Fintech companies that launch standalone layer 1 blockchains will face challenges attracting enough users to compete with Ethereum and Solana, Qureshi said. This may limit competition between public smart contract platforms.
Qureshi predicted strong gains for Bitcoin (BTC) before the end of the year, although he expects Bitcoin’s dominance to decline as other sectors expand. Ethereum and Solana are expected to maintain their strength in decentralized financial ecosystems, while some fintech-focused Layer 1 projects may underperform, potentially shifting capital allocation towards established blockchain networks.
Dragonfly Capital Parter issues warnings
In decentralized finance markets, Qureshi expects consolidation among perpetual decentralized exchanges to around three market leaders, with perpetual stocks potentially capturing significant market share. He warned of a potential scandal surrounding insider trading in crypto markets, which could lead to increased regulatory scrutiny of decentralized platforms and influence future product design considerations.
The supply of stablecoins could increase significantly in 2026, although USDT’s market share could decline according to Qureshi’s forecasts. Stablecoin-linked payment cards could see sharp growth throughout the year, further integrating crypto assets into everyday payment systems.
Regulatory frameworks, including the European Union’s Crypto Asset Markets (MiCA) Regulation, are expected to be actively enforced, providing greater legal certainty for public companies. Institutional demand for treasury management and payment solutions may increase, while tokenization of real-world assets could drive corporate adoption of blockchain into practical business applications.
According to industry reports, several major cryptocurrency companies are targeting public listings in 2026, with potential IPO candidates including Kraken, Consensys and BitGo.
