Korbit Research Center Releases "2026 Virtual Asset Market Outlook" Report

Korbit Research Center announced on December 8 that it published its fourth annual report, "2026 Virtual Asset Market Outlook," which forecasts the virtual asset market for the coming year, on December 5.

This report was produced with the full participation of all four researchers at the center and provides a multi-faceted analysis of the following: key trends in the virtual asset market, potential risks, changes in global liquidity and policy environment, and the correlations among on-chain, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), and derivatives markets.

First, Minseung Kim, Head of the Center, identified the breakdown of the four-year cycle theory and the rise of stablecoin infrastructure as major changes. As the liquidity cycle is being reorganized in a high-interest-rate environment, the four-year halving cycle theory has weakened. He suggested that there is a possibility of an additional market peak during the liquidity resupply period in 2026. He also forecasted that as stablecoins are incorporated into the U.S. financial system, stablecoin infrastructure that simultaneously addresses regulatory compliance and institutional clients' privacy demands will emerge as a core growth driver.

Yoon Young Choi, another head of the center, analyzed that as asset revaluation takes place based on new economic policies and institutional foundations, the underlying asset classes for RWA (Real World Asset) tokenization will further expand. She also projected that as stablecoins become fully integrated as a payment layer, the on-chain financial ecosystem will expand.

Dong Hyun Kang, research fellow, predicted that fintech and Web3 companies with technological suitability and rapid execution capabilities will lead the growth of the RWA market. He also analyzed that in the prediction market, trading volume will increase and product diversification will occur, centered on platforms such as Polymarket, Kalshi, and Opinion, resulting in even fiercer competition among platforms.

Ji Sung Jung, research fellow, referenced the cases of Robinhood and Coinbase to signal the advent of a super-app era, where securities, tokenized securities, and derivatives are offered on a single platform. He further forecasted that perpetual DEXs, including Hyperliquid, will evolve into on-chain derivatives infrastructure by expanding their perpetual futures lineup, which incorporates token buyback flywheels and extends to RWAs.

Minseung Kim, Head of Korbit Research Center, stated, "2026 will be a year in which institutionalized asset demand and policy tailwinds converge, propelling the value of virtual assets beyond the traditional four-year cycle model and into a new dimension," adding, "A structural analysis to understand how liquidity, policy, and technological changes will reshape the market structure is essential."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.