TLDR
- Ripple president Monica Long predicts 250 Fortune 500 companies will hold crypto or use blockchain financial tools by end of 2026
- Corporate balance sheets expected to hold over $1 trillion in digital assets by 2026
- Coinbase survey shows 6 out of 10 Fortune 500 executives already working on blockchain initiatives
- Digital asset treasury companies grew from 4 in 2020 to over 200 today, with nearly 100 formed in 2025
- Long predicts stablecoins will become the primary foundation for global payment systems within five years
Ripple president Monica Long released predictions on Monday stating that roughly 250 of America’s largest corporations will either hold cryptocurrency or use blockchain-powered financial instruments by the end of 2026. The forecast marks a bold timeline for institutional adoption in the digital asset space.
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Ripple president Monica Long predicts that crypto will be adopted by 50% of Fortune 500 companies by 2026, foreseeing blockchain as the operating layer of modern finance and $1 trillion in digital assets on global balance sheets. 📈 pic.twitter.com/MbG9lnwwOk
— Nexus News (@Nexus_News_AI) January 21, 2026
Long stated that blockchain is becoming the “operating layer of modern finance.” She expects corporate balance sheets to hold over $1 trillion in digital assets by 2026. This includes not just crypto holdings but active participation across tokenized assets, digital asset treasuries, stablecoins, onchain T-bills and programmable financial instruments.
The prediction comes as corporate interest in blockchain technology continues to grow. A Coinbase survey from mid-2025 found that 6 out of 10 executives from Fortune 500 companies indicated their employers were already working on blockchain initiatives. This data supports Long’s timeline for widespread adoption.
Currently, only a handful of Fortune 500 companies hold Bitcoin on their balance sheets. GameStop made its first purchase of 4,710 BTC in May 2025. Block Inc and Tesla also hold Bitcoin as part of their corporate treasuries.
Growth in Digital Asset Treasury Companies
The number of digital asset treasury companies has expanded rapidly in recent years. Long noted that these companies grew from just four in 2020 to over 200 today. Nearly 100 of these companies were formed in 2025 alone.
Long also made predictions about the stablecoin market. She expects stablecoins to become a primary tool for global settlement in the next few years. Long cited regulatory advancements and moves from major payment processors like Visa and Mastercard as factors supporting this growth.
“Within the next five years, stablecoins will become fully integrated into global payment systems — not as an alternative rail, but as the foundational one,” Long stated in her blog post. The prediction suggests a fundamental shift in how global payments could be processed.
Financial Institutions and Crypto Custody
Long expects a wave of financial institutions to start directly custodying cryptocurrency. This includes banks, service providers and crypto companies accelerating their blockchain strategies. Direct custody would give these institutions more control over their digital asset operations.
The Ripple president also discussed the convergence of artificial intelligence and blockchain technology. She said stablecoins and smart contracts will enable treasuries to manage liquidity, execute margin calls and optimize yield across onchain repo agreements in real-time without manual intervention.
Long highlighted that privacy features will be important for expansion. Zero-knowledge proofs will allow AI systems to assess creditworthiness or risk profiles without exposing sensitive data. This technology could reduce friction in lending and unlock broader adoption of digital assets across regulated markets.
The predictions reflect Long’s view that the crypto and blockchain industry has spent recent years laying technical and regulatory groundwork. She argued this foundation work has prepared the sector for mass adoption and mainstream integration.
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