Asset manager Ark Invest said the convergence of blockchain technology, institutional adoption and regulatory transparency is reshaping digital assets from a speculative niche market to a fundamental layer of the global financial system.
In its Big Ideas 2026 report, Ark Invest framed this shift as a significant shift rather than an incremental one, arguing that Bitcoin: BTC$89,521.18smart contract networks and tokenized assets are moving from experimentation to expansion faster than consensus expected.
The investment manager pointed to the growing role of Bitcoin as a new institutional asset class.
According to the company, combined Bitcoin holdings in U.S. exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and publicly traded companies will grow to about 12% of total supply in 2025, up from less than 9% a year ago. The report said that over the same period, Bitcoin’s risk-adjusted returns have outperformed most major cryptocurrencies and broader crypto indexes, while the drawdown from all-time highs has been more subdued, supporting the argument that cryptocurrencies are maturing as a store of value.
Looking ahead, asset managers expect Bitcoin to remain the dominant digital asset by market value. The company believes that the combined market is BTC And smart contract networks are growing at an annual rate of about 60%, potentially reaching about $28 trillion by 2030, with Bitcoin accounting for about 70% of that total.
Ark Invest predicted that Bitcoin’s market capitalization could rise to around $16 trillion by the end of this decade, from around $2 trillion now, due to its role as “digital gold” and increased participation by institutional investors.
The report also highlighted the rapid growth of stablecoins and tokenized real-world assets as key factors driving broader adoption. The company noted that regulatory clarity in the United States is prompting financial institutions to re-evaluate their stablecoin and tokenization strategies, which is driving stablecoin trading volumes to levels comparable to or exceeding those of major traditional payment networks.
In Ark Invest’s view, tokenized U.S. Treasuries, commodities, and ultimately stocks are early signs of a larger migration of financial assets to public blockchains.
While the market value of tokenized assets is currently small, the company predicts that the market value could exceed $11 trillion by 2030 as more sovereign debt, bank deposits, and public equities are brought on-chain. Ark argued that decentralized finance (DeFi) platforms and crypto-native issuers are already closing the gap with traditional fintechs in terms of assets under management, revenue efficiency, and institutional relevance.
The investment firm said these trends, taken together, point to a future where public blockchains underpin money, contracts and ownership on a global scale. The report warns that adoption will not happen all at once, but as digital assets become a more integral part of the financial system, investors and institutions that recognize this change early may be at an advantage.
read more: Bitcoin price could reach $300,000 to $1.5 million by 2030, says Ark Investments
