TechRound quotes Charlotte Hill and Vadim Romanoff on their 2026 cryptocurrency and digital assets predictions

As the crypto industry matures, conversations about its future are shifting. In a 2026 predictions article, TechRound reports that "gone are the days when predictions focused solely on eye-watering price targets or overnight disruption. Instead, these days, experts are increasingly talking about structure, sustainability and real-world relevance – it’s more about the overall systems than it is about specific trends."

By 2026, the piece continues, crypto is expected to look less like an experiment and more like an established – though still evolving – part of the global financial ecosystem. While uncertainty remains, and most likely always will, there’s growing consensus around a handful of broad themes that could define the next phase of the industry. From regulation and institutional involvement to changing user expectations, the coming years may be shaped more by steady progress than sudden shocks.

One of the most common threads in expert commentary is the idea that crypto’s next phase will be driven less by speculation and more by practical use cases. While trading and investment will always play a role, there is growing emphasis on whether blockchain-based products genuinely solve problems or improve existing systems.

By 2026, many expect successful projects to be those that quietly integrate into everyday processes – whether in payments, identity, data ownership or decentralised infrastructure – rather than those built purely around hype cycles. This doesn’t signal the end of volatility, but it does seem to suggest a shift in what earns long-term attention and trust.

Vadim Romanoff, Partner in our Corporate Tax and Incentives team, and Charlotte Hill, Partner in our Financial Services Regulation & Funds team, provide their views in the article and give their predictions on what 2026 has in store for crypto and digital assets.

Charlotte comments:

Once crypto is brought formally inside the FCA perimeter, there is a real risk of a halo effect – consumers may read ‘regulated’ as ‘safe’, even though the FCA is very clear that people can still lose everything.

"This regime reflects political pressure to support growth rather than any reduction in crypto risk. The FCA is trying to bring crypto onshore to control it, but it is doing so without clear guidance from government on how much consumer harm is acceptable.

"Allowing overseas, unauthorised exchanges to target UK institutional investors carries an obvious risk of retail leakage. In practice, the FCA has struggled to stop illegal retail targeting from overseas crypto firms, and this does not magically disappear under a new regime.

"The danger is not that the FCA is opening the door to fraud, but that it is formalising a risk it already struggles to police. Without strong enforcement and international cooperation, consumer harm may simply become more visible rather than less frequent.

Vadim comments:

For years, crypto investors have operated at arm’s length from HMRC, but from the start of this year, that distance has now disappeared.

"Under the Cryptoasset Reporting Framework, exchanges and wallet providers will report who is transacting, what they are trading and where they are based. That data can also be shared internationally, giving local tax authorities a far clearer picture of any domestic and cross-border crypto activity.

"Investors won’t be filing these reports themselves, but HMRC will be matching platform data directly against tax returns. Any mismatch – whether incorrect residency details, missing records or undeclared historic gains – is far more likely to be flagged.

"For crypto exchanges and wallet providers, the message is simple; get your house in order now and make sure the investors’ data is up to-date. For investors – ensure they keep clean records, update the providers promptly and deal with any historic issues early, to avoid any costly discrepancies.

Read the full article here.