Unchained
Unchained
Laura Shin
Bits + Bips: 2026 Crypto Predictions: BTC & ETH Hit Record Highs, Stablecoins Go Big
1 hour 9 minutes Posted Dec 31, 2025 at 12:37 pm.
Why John thinks a global Web2 giant will launch a stablecoin in 2026
How big the stablecoin market can actually get and where tokenized deposits fit in
Whether stablecoins will face outright bans in parts of the world
Why a major crypto hack of more than $2 billion in 2026 seems likely
Why it looks like crypto market structure legislation won’t pass in 2026 — and maybe not after the midterms either
John’s three counter-consensus predictions involving quantum tech and AGI
Whether altcoins are structurally set up to underperform again in 2026
Whether massive Solana adoption would or wouldn’t translate into token value
What “financial nihilism” explains about altcoin behavior
Why Chris believes 2026 could become a defining year for crypto M&A
How U.S. political shifts now could ripple into the 2028 election cycle
What an NFT comeback would actually look like and why it won’t resemble JPEG mania
Why John isn’t buying the idea that post-10/10 blowups are inevitable
Whether all-time highs in 2026 are still on the table
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Show notes
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In this year-end Bits + Bips roundtable, hosts Austin Campbell and Chris Perkins are joined by John D’Agostino, Head of Strategy at Coinbase Institutional, for a wide-ranging and often contentious look at what 2026 may hold for crypto.
They debate whether a major global brand will launch its own stablecoin, whether altcoins are structurally doomed—or secretly set up for a Wall Street–driven resurgence—and whether a major crypto hack is coming.
The conversation also explores how tokens accrue value and whether there will be a new M&A trend that’ll reshape the industry as we know it.
Plus: don’t miss what they have to say about NFTs, financial nihilism, and whether we’ll see all-time highs for bitcoin in 2026.
Hosts:
Ram Ahluwalia, CFA, CEO and Founder of Lumida
Austin Campbell, NYU Stern professor and Founder of Zero Knowledge Consulting
Christopher Perkins, Managing Partner and President of CoinFund
Guest:
John D'Agostino, Head of Strategy for Coinbase Institutional
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