PwC says crypto adoption is emerging unevenly across regions in 2026

PwC added that adoption still depends on economic conditions, levels of financial inclusion, and existing financial infrastructure, leaving crypto to operate in what it called a fragmented global ecosystem that solves different problems in different places. The firm also said the pace of blockchain and crypto uptake has accelerated in the United States as a crypto friendly Trump administration has given institutions more confidence to launch products tied to cryptocurrencies and stablecoins.

PwC wrote that institutional interest has crossed what it called the point of reversibility, with banks, asset managers, payment providers, and large corporates embedding digital assets into core infrastructure, balance sheets, and operating models. The report also noted concerns from some analysts that sentiment could shift under a future administration with a different regulatory posture.

On 21 January 2026, CryptoQuant’s Ki Young Ju pointed to 577,000 bitcoin bought by institutional funds over the past year, which he estimated was equivalent to about $53 billion. PwC wrote that as institutions commit to crypto, they reshape market norms around scale, governance, resilience, and accountability.

Macro researcher and FFTT founder Luke Gromen wrote on 21 January 2026 that institutional investors are unlikely to drive bitcoin sharply higher this year without a major catalyst, arguing that institutions alone may not be enough to lift the price from roughly 90,000 to 150,000.

As GNcrypto wrote on 10 December 2025, Bybit ranked Singapore first globally for crypto adoption in its 2025 World Crypto Rankings study, followed by the United States and Lithuania, using indicators such as user penetration, institutional readiness, regulatory clarity, and fiat on and off ramp support. The report also cited stablecoin infrastructure and clearer licensing regimes as common factors among jurisdictions with stronger adoption profiles.