Ark Invest said in its Big Ideas 2026 report that blockchain technology, institutional adoption and clearer regulation are changing the role of digital assets. The firm described the shift as more than gradual progress, arguing that digital assets are moving beyond a speculative corner of the market and becoming part of the financial system’s core infrastructure. In that framework, bitcoin, smart contract networks and tokenized assets stand out as the main engines of the next growth phase.
Institutional ownership rises as bitcoin gains standing
According to Ark Invest, bitcoin is increasingly being treated as a new institutional asset class. The firm said that in 2025, U.S. ETFs and public companies together held about 12% of total bitcoin supply, up from less than 9% a year earlier. Over the same period, the report said bitcoin delivered stronger risk-adjusted returns than most major cryptocurrencies and broader crypto indexes, while drawdowns from all-time highs became less severe. Ark used those trends to support its view that bitcoin is maturing as a store of value.
Ark projects a $28 trillion market by 2030
The asset manager expects bitcoin to remain the largest digital asset by market value. It estimated that the combined market for bitcoin and smart contract networks could expand at an annualized rate of about 60% to roughly $28 trillion by 2030, with bitcoin accounting for around 70% of that total. Ark also forecast that bitcoin’s market capitalization could grow from about $2 trillion today to roughly $16 trillion by the end of the decade, driven by its role as digital gold and by rising institutional participation.
Stablecoins and tokenized assets seen as adoption catalysts
Ark also pointed to stablecoins and tokenized real-world assets as major drivers of broader adoption. The report said clearer U.S. regulation has led financial institutions to reassess their stablecoin and tokenization strategies, helping push stablecoin transaction volumes to levels that rival or exceed major legacy payment networks. In Ark’s view, tokenized U.S. Treasuries, commodities and eventually equities are early signs of a much larger movement of financial assets onto public blockchains.
Tokenized asset value could top $11 trillion
While the tokenized asset market remains small today, Ark projected that it could exceed $11 trillion by 2030. The report said sovereign debt, bank deposits and public equities may increasingly move on-chain over time. Ark added that DeFi platforms and crypto-native issuers are already narrowing the gap with traditional fintech firms in assets under management, revenue efficiency and institutional relevance.