After being on the cusp of crossing into the financial mainstream for several years, cryptocurrencies finally look ready to make a significant breakthrough.
Governments worldwide are implementing new regulatory frameworks which will bring more clarity to a sector which has generated plenty of controversy since it first emerged.
With that in mind, read on as we assess the impact crypto could have in 2026 and beyond.
Crypto and Online Gambling Grow Together in New Zealand
New Zealand is currently fine-tuning a new online betting framework as it strives to gain more control of who can operate and how consumers are protected.
Internationally licensed platforms have traditionally catered to New Zealand players, which has resulted in the government missing out on important tax revenue.
The reputable online casinos featured on the bettingtop10.co.nz comparison platform offer Kiwi players the chance to play popular games such as blackjack and roulette.
The New Zealand government plans to bring the lucrative sector under their control, and crypto payments will play a key role in the revamped ecosystem.
Digital currencies allow gambling sites to process their payments quickly and across borders. Depositing and withdrawing funds via crypto is much quicker than traditional banking systems.
Blockchain’s immutable ledgers can also be used to prove that the games and systems are fair, solving a problem many gamers have at the back of their mind.
New Zealand is firmly on course to set an example of how crypto and online gambling can coexist under clearer rules.
Bitcoin and Ethereum Become Mainstream Investment Assets
Bitcoin and Ethereum (ETH) is not just for early adopters and technology enthusiasts. More and more people are investing in digital tokens as long-term assets.
Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) has a massive Bitcoin reserve, as does Tesla, Trump Media & Technology Group, and Strategy.
Large investment firms, pension funds, individuals and companies can now buy Bitcoin, making investing simpler and more traditional for those involved. Even casual investors are betting on Bitcoin, which is being increasingly seen as digital gold.
Simultaneously, Bitcoin is undergoing several technical upgrades that will make handling everyday payments faster, without tampering with what makes it valuable.
Ethereum has a different role in the ecosystem as it is not just a currency. ETH is more like an engine room that powers other crypto services. It powers applications across digital finance tools, online marketplaces and blockchain-based games.
ETH is now cheaper and faster to use after recent improvements, while still allowing people to earn rewards by locking up their coins to secure their network. Many people will no longer view ETH as a risky experiment but as digital infrastructure essential to the crypto ecosystem.
Wall Street analyst and chairman of BitMine Immersion Technologies, Tom Lee, thinks ETH could soar to $9,000 per coin early in 2026, a potential upside of 177 percent from where it’s trading.
Crypto Becomes Easier to Use Thanks to Better Technology Behind the Scenes
One of the biggest changes coming to the crypto world is ease of use. Many people are not using crypto in their everyday transactions because they can be quite complex to navigate.
However, developers are working to make blockchains faster, cheaper and easier to connect with each other. This change is important because early crypto systems proved to be slow, expensive and confusing for novices.
Many transactions will no longer happen on the main blockchain but on secondary systems that sit on top of it, allowing everyday people to move money or use apps with lower fees.
New technology is allowing different blockchains to communicate with each other, so users are not restricted to a single network.
In simple terms, this means people will not care as much about which blockchain they are using. They will simply expect things to run smoothly, like every day on the internet.
While Bitcoin, Ethereum and other networks have specialised services, they can collectively form a user-friendly ecosystem that is less technical and more compatible with everyday use.
Stablecoins, which are becoming the backbone of digital money, will make crypto even more operable as they are typically backed 1:1 by cash and cash equivalents.
Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil.
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