Animoca Chair Yat Siu Maps Web3 Direction For 2026

Crypto prices remain under pressure heading into 2026, yet a longer-term view from Animoca Brands leadership points to a different trajectory for Web3. Yat Siu outlines where capital, users, and utility may concentrate as regulation and adoption evolve.

Good to Know

• Yat Siu expects altcoins to outpace Bitcoin in utility growth
• Regulation clarity may unlock corporate token adoption
• Tokenization could reshape finance, media, and digital ownership

Altcoins May Outpace Bitcoin In Utility

Yat Siu, co-founder and executive chairman of Animoca Brands, shared a detailed outlook for Web3 in 2026 that leans away from short-term market sentiment. His analysis frames the next phase around usability, regulation, and financial access rather than price cycles.

Bitcoin continues to hold a specific role. Siu described it as firmly positioned as a store of value. At the same time, he sees the broader token market carrying most of the innovation.

“Bitcoin has cemented its status as digital gold,” Siu wrote. “However, it is the broader altcoin market that represents global innovation and utility.”

He compared that structure to traditional finance, where gold dominates individually but public companies collectively account for far more economic value. According to Siu, many users enter crypto through utility-driven tokens tied to gaming, decentralized finance, or digital ownership rather than through Bitcoin itself.

“The growth of the altcoin market in recent years signals that there will be opportunities in already launched tokens and not just new tokens,” he said.

Siu also pointed to historical parallels following the dotcom crash. He argued that Web3 now sits in a phase where existing projects with liquidity may outperform speculative launches.

“Once upon a time in Web3, most of the opportunity lay in hotly anticipated tokens that were about to launch,” he said. “That is no longer the case.”

Regulation And Institutions Shape The Next Phase

Regulation remains a central theme in the outlook. Siu referenced recent US legislative developments, including stablecoin frameworks and proposed clarity around regulatory oversight.

“While the GENIUS Act provided an initial legal framework for stablecoins, the industry also gained much-needed guidance with the proposed Clarity Act,” he wrote.

He added that clearer jurisdiction between regulators could unlock tokenization across many industries.

“We believe the Clarity Act will pass Congress in 2026 and will trigger a wave of tokenization for many types of companies in the US, both large and small.”

Institutional participation also features heavily. Siu sees the next growth phase defined by real-world assets and stablecoins rather than speculative trading.

“What started with the introduction of crypto ETFs will become a full and continued thematic around broad institutional adoption,” he said.

Tokenized assets may also expand access to financial tools that traditional systems fail to reach.

“RWAs and other financialized assets will provide users with much more democratic access,” Siu wrote, citing faster payments, better yield access, and tools for unbanked populations.

Utility Replaces Hype As Web3 Reaches New Users

On user experience, Siu expects blockchain to fade into the background.

“Today, we no longer say digital music or MP3, we just say music,” he said. “The same will happen with blockchain functionality.”

He pointed to prediction markets, gaming assets, and yield products already using crypto rails without requiring users to engage directly with blockchain mechanics.

Looking ahead, Siu expects a shift in audience focus.

“In 2026 crypto will see a shift from crypto natives to the crypto curious,” he wrote. “And a shift from fun and entertainment to utility and value.”

That transition may allow tokens to communicate purpose more clearly.

“Under a more friendly regulatory framework, it becomes possible to discuss the value and utility of tokens more directly,” Siu said.

He also stressed the role of education as tokenization spreads.

“Tokenization leads to financialization,” he wrote. “Users need greater financial literacy to benefit from new opportunities.”

Siu closed his outlook with a warning tied to adoption pressure.

“Tokenize or die,” he wrote. “Companies that do not tokenise their assets will become less relevant.”