Corporate adoption of digital assets is accelerating, with nearly half of Fortune 500 companies expected to engage with crypto by the end of 2026. According to Ripple president Monica Long, blockchain is rapidly evolving into the core operating layer of modern finance, driven by years of technical development and expanding regulatory clarity.
Long stated that roughly 250 of the largest U.S. corporations will either hold digital assets directly or use blockchain-powered financial instruments within the next two years. These strategies go beyond passive exposure, including tokenized assets, digital asset treasuries, stablecoins, onchain Treasury bills, and programmable financial tools.
She projects that global corporate balance sheets will hold more than $1 trillion in digital assets by 2026, reflecting deeper institutional integration.
In a blog post on Monday, Long argued that;
Supporting this view, a mid-2025 executive survey found that six in ten Fortune 500 leaders reported active involvement in blockchain initiatives. Public companies are also increasingly adding Bitcoin to their balance sheets. While adoption remains selective, firms such as GameStop, Tesla, and Block highlight a growing acceptance of digital assets as treasury reserves.
Notably, digital asset treasury companies have expanded from just four in 2020 to over 200 today, with nearly half formed in 2025 alone.
Long also forecasted major growth in stablecoins as a primary global settlement tool, citing regulatory progress and involvement from major payment networks. She expects more banks and financial institutions to directly custody digital assets to support blockchain-based operations.
Additionally, the convergence of artificial intelligence and blockchain is expected to unlock real-time liquidity management, automated settlements, and enhanced privacy through zero-knowledge technologies.
Together, these trends suggest that corporate crypto adoption is shifting from experimentation to infrastructure, positioning blockchain as a foundational element of global finance by 2026.
Disclaimer
This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment, or legal advice. Cryptocurrency trading involves risk and may result in financial loss.