CoinFund Forecasts Strong Growth Plans And Expanding Opportunities For Blockchain Startups In 2026
Cryptocurrency-focused funding agency CoinFund introduced that it has revealed its 2026 Founders’ Forecast, indicating that a big portion of surveyed blockchain founders intend to pursue substantial development.
According to the report, 84% of respondents anticipate increasing their groups, whereas 40% are exploring potential public choices or different main structural adjustments throughout the subsequent two years.
The survey, carried out in November 2025, gathered insights from founders and executives throughout 25 Seed and Series A-stage portfolio firms, representing a various section of CoinFund’s investments.
David Pakman, Managing Partner and Head of Venture Investments at CoinFund, acknowledged that crypto now has a number of examples of merchandise reaching significant adoption, citing areas corresponding to stablecoins and funds, on-chain buying and selling and perpetual contracts, in addition to decentralized finance (DeFi) yield-bearing merchandise like staking and lending markets.
He famous that on-chain finance is predicted to be a central narrative in 2026 and added that this product-market match has inspired founders to proceed innovating, driving adoption and utilization, and exploring choices corresponding to IPOs and direct listings. Pakman additionally talked about that following final yr’s election, crypto optimism stays high, with founders wanting to develop their groups, advance their merchandise, and lift further capital within the coming yr.
While massive know-how corporations proceed to implement workforce reductions, blockchain startups are experiencing the other development. According to latest knowledge, 84% of those firms intend to develop their groups, a rise from 79.5% the earlier yr, and none plan to scale back employees, in contrast with 6.8% final yr. Among these planning to rent, over half anticipate rising headcount by 50% or extra, with the strongest demand targeted on Product and Engineering, in addition to Business Development and Sales positions.
Projected 2026 Trends: Stablecoins, IPOs, And Apps
Founders surveyed recognized fintech and stablecoins because the sectors almost certainly to expertise development in 2026, with 28% highlighting these areas, adopted by client functions and real-world property or tokenized property at 20% every, and DeFi at 12%.
This represents a shift from the earlier yr, when client functions have been seen because the main development sector. Additionally, 40% of respondents indicated plans to ascertain a DAO or a Foundation, or to pursue a public itemizing via an IPO, RTO, or direct itemizing throughout the subsequent two years.
This curiosity in public markets and formal governance buildings displays a blockchain trade that has matured via the bear market and now perceives viable alternatives following the approval of spot Bitcoin ETFs in 2024 and a extra supportive regulatory atmosphere within the United States.
Many founders view 2026 as the primary practical window to pursue liquidity occasions that have been beforehand unattainable, with 76% planning to boost capital subsequent yr, up from 70.5% within the earlier yr. Fundraising targets reported by respondents span varied levels, with 20% concentrating on over $25 million and the rest looking for quantities between below $5 million and $25 million.
Founders indicated that new capital can be used for a wide range of functions, together with scaling go-to-market operations, increasing product groups, growing infrastructure for institutional purchasers, and driving client adoption as blockchain-based monetary merchandise attain mainstream customers.
Alleviated Barriers Allow For Focus On Growth
Ben Fielding, Co-Founder and CEO of Gensyn, acknowledged that “the world remains to be determining how to consider crypto as each a know-how and asset class, and it’s placing pointless obstacles, corresponding to regulatory uncertainty, in the way in which of progress.”
When requested concerning the best challenges to development, founders recognized discovering product-market match as their major concern at 24%, adopted by entry to capital at 20%. Generating income has additionally turn into a key precedence, with 56% of respondents describing monetization as “essential” or “extraordinarily essential” for his or her enterprise within the coming yr.
Founders report robust engagement with US regulatory developments, with 76% describing themselves as “knowledgeable” or “very properly knowledgeable” concerning the present panorama, and no respondents indicating they’re uninformed or think about regulation irrelevant to their operations. Concerns concerning the US regulatory atmosphere have decreased in contrast with final yr, suggesting that latest coverage updates and clearer steerage have diminished vital obstacles, permitting founders to focus extra on execution and buyer acquisition.
“What retains me up at evening is that on daily basis, individuals don’t know that crypto has matured a lot from after they final heard of it,” stated Matt Nofi, Marketing Lead at Flow Foundation, in a written assertion. “It’s not simply scamcoins anymore. Programmable cash has the chance to enhance their lives a lot,” he added.
“We have an actual alternative to advance this market responsibly,” stated Jim Hiltner, Co-Founder and Head of Business Development at Superstate, in a written assertion. “Even with a comparatively permissive atmosphere within the U.S., we’re nonetheless within the early days of integrating securities into DeFi, and we need to guarantee we’re making considerate progress throughout this second of alignment,” he added.
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