Big Tech Crypto Wallets and Bank Blockchains Could Shake Up the Market by 2026
A major Big Tech company—think Google, Apple, or Meta—might roll out a crypto wallet by 2026, opening the door for billions of users to access digital assets, according to Haseeb Qureshi, managing partner at Dragonfly. At the same time, more Fortune 100 companies are expected to experiment with their own blockchains.
What’s Happening in the Blockchain World:
Big Tech and major banks are exploring more ways to use blockchain by 2026.
Most private blockchain projects are still small pilot programs.
Fintech startups trying to compete with Ethereum or Solana are unlikely to gain significant traction.
Qureshi notes that the next wave of corporate blockchain adoption will mostly come from banks and fintech companies, not consumer brands or crypto-native startups. These companies are leaning toward modular blockchain setups—using infrastructure like Avalanche and tools such as OP Stack, Orbit, and ZK Stack. This allows them to run permissioned or semi-private networks while still settling transactions on public blockchains.
Banks Test Private Blockchains, But Growth Is Slow
Several major banks, including JPMorgan, Bank of America, Goldman Sachs, and IBM, have already tested private blockchains. But most of these experiments remain small-scale, narrowly focused pilots.
Galaxy Digital also predicts that by 2026, at least one Fortune 500 bank, cloud provider, or e-commerce company will launch a layer-1 blockchain capable of handling over $1 billion in real-world transactions and bridging into decentralized finance.
Big Tech Crypto Wallets Could Change Everything
Qureshi expects a major Big Tech firm to either launch or acquire a crypto wallet soon. Such a move could instantly bring digital assets to billions of users, far outpacing the reach of any current crypto-native app.
Fintech Blockchains May Struggle
Despite growing excitement, Qureshi is skeptical that fintech-led blockchains will gain real traction. Many layer-1 networks launched by fintech companies are struggling to attract developers and users. In contrast, Ethereum and Solana continue to dominate as developers favor neutral, crypto-native infrastructure.
Market Outlook: Bitcoin and Stablecoins
Qureshi predicts Bitcoin could surpass $150,000 by the end of 2026, though its market dominance may shrink as capital moves into other areas.
The $312 billion stablecoin market is expected to grow about 60% next year, though Tether’s share may drop from 60% to 55%.
Industry opinions vary: some see 2026 as a potential “up year” for Bitcoin, while others caution that the market will remain highly sensitive to monetary policy and economic expectations.
