thestreet.com
The "growing up" of the crypto industry is no longer just a forecast. As we move through 2026, the conversation has shifted from the volatile speculation of the past to the sophisticated "plumbing" of a new global financial architecture.
To understand how the pieces of this puzzle fit together, five leaders across the ecosystem shared their insights with TheStreet Roundtable. From infrastructure architects to fund managers, they trace the path from "magic internet money" to the institutional-grade reality seen today.
The 24/7 financial engine
For many on Wall Street, a crypto exchange looks like just another trading app. However, Yaroslav Patsira, Fractional Director at CEX.IO, argues that this is a fundamental misunderstanding of the architecture.
"In traditional finance, such apps are primarily a frontend, and the actual work of verifying trades and holding assets is outsourced to a chain of separate banks and clearinghouses," Patsira explains. "In contrast, a fully integrated crypto platform utilizes blockchain technology to manage the transaction lifecycle within a unified digital ecosystem."
This architectural shift enables what he calls "atomic settlement." Unlike the T+2 (two-day) settlement cycles typical of the stock market, crypto platforms operate on a different clock. "On a crypto platform, the trade and the settlement occur nearly simultaneously," says Patsira.
"Consider that traditional markets largely operate around opening and closing bells... Crypto platforms operate 24/7/365."
The stablecoin bridge
If the exchanges are the engines, stablecoins are the fuel. For Kevin Lehtiniitty, CEO of Borderless, the real breakthrough is the "sandwich" effect of these assets.
"Stablecoins act as a real-time bridge between two real-time payment methods," Lehtiniitty says. He describes a world where a user can move money via a "stablecoin sandwich," converting local fiat to a stablecoin, settling it instantly across borders, and offramping into another local currency.
"What Borderless has built is what we call a stablecoin payments network... An on and off ramp only has to connect to one place, which is Borderless," he notes.
This process bypasses the "walled gardens" of traditional banking, where systems like European SEPA and Brazilian Pix do not communicate directly.
The "Facebook of finance"
As this money moves, it leaves a digital trail. In the legacy world, financial reporting is a labyrinth of protected bank statements. In the new world, it is a public ledger.
"You look at this as like a Facebook of finance," says Aleksey Studnev, CEO of Bitquery. "When you see all connections between all tokens and traders inside blockchain, you don't have this ability in traditional finance."
Studnev believes this radical transparency is the catalyst for the next wave of reporting. "I think that the blockchain value is more like a media rather than representing a currency," he observes. This transparency allows for real-time auditing and automated risk management.
"I believe that the first really working AI bot, which will trade much better than anyone else, will be on blockchain, not on stock market."
Institutional credibility and the 90s redux
While the technology is ready, a "credibility gap" remains a hurdle. Dominic Corosa, Chairman at Blockmate Ventures, sees this as history repeating itself.
"I remember in the late 90s... there was a lot of talk around. Is it safe to put your credit card on a website and actually purchase something?" Corosa recalls. "Where we are with regards to the crypto space and the evolution is very much like the internet was in the late 90s. It was new. It was scary. It was difficult to use, but it's now ubiquitous."
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For those still wary of "scams and meme coins," Corosa points to the professionalization of the sector. Through Bitcoin ETFs and market-neutral funds, investors can now capture yield without needing to manage private keys.
"By being able to get exposure to the rest of the crypto universe... you have professionals who are able to give you exposure without you having to try and become an expert in the space," he adds.
Tokenizing RWAs
Perhaps the most practical evolution is the tokenization of Real World Assets (RWA). Martin Quensel, Co-Founder at Centrifuge, is building bridges between the blockchain and traditional debt like mortgages and invoices.
"It has nothing to do with the crypto assets, like Bitcoin," Quensel clarifies. "Even if it is a token on the blockchain, it's actually exactly a traditional financial instrument as you know it... Your wallet is replacing the bank account and the broker account."
Centrifuge allows investors to bypass the middleman and go straight to the source.
"You do not have a bank or a broker distributing it. So that is already an intermediary you actually don't need anymore," Quensel says.
By 2026, he predicts that yield infrastructure will be so integrated that stablecoin holdings will automatically generate yield per second, effectively turning cash into an active, programmable asset.
The verdict for 2026
The consensus among these experts suggests the "toy" phase of crypto is over. Whether it's atomic settlement, global payment rails, or tokenized credit, the industry is focusing on utility over hype. As Corosa puts it, "Given another 10, 15 years... we'll be talking about crypto, like we talk about email and e-commerce today."