Coinbase Institutional released its "2026 Crypto Market Outlook," identifying the rapid growth of perpetual futures as a major trend. This growth signals the potential integration of crypto derivatives into the global financial system.
The report notes that decentralized exchanges processed over $1.2 trillion per month in perpetual futures volumes during 2025. This activity was primarily driven by traders seeking high leverage.
Coinbase Chief Policy Officer Faryar Shirzad emphasized that market structure remains the critical question for crypto’s success in 2026.
The outlook also points to the rise of tokenized equity derivatives. These derivatives offer retail traders 24/7 access to traditional assets, leveraging crypto efficiency to expand market participation and liquidity.