CoinFund Forecasts Strong Growth Plans And Expanding Opportunities For Blockchain Startups In 2026
In Brief
CoinFund’s 2026 Founders’ Forecast shows that blockchain startups are planning significant growth, with most aiming to expand teams, pursue fundraising, and explore public listings amid a maturing market and improved regulatory clarity.
Cryptocurrency-focused investment firm CoinFund announced that it has published its 2026 Founders’ Forecast, indicating that a large portion of surveyed blockchain founders intend to pursue substantial growth.
According to the report, 84% of respondents anticipate expanding their teams, while 40% are exploring potential public offerings or other major structural changes within the next two years.
The survey, carried out in November 2025, gathered insights from founders and executives across 25 Seed and Series A-stage portfolio companies, representing a diverse segment of CoinFund’s investments.
David Pakman, Managing Partner and Head of Venture Investments at CoinFund, stated that crypto now has multiple examples of products achieving meaningful adoption, citing areas such as stablecoins and payments, on-chain trading and perpetual contracts, as well as decentralized finance (DeFi) yield-bearing products like staking and lending markets.
He noted that on-chain finance is expected to be a central narrative in 2026 and added that this product-market fit has encouraged founders to continue innovating, driving adoption and usage, and exploring options such as IPOs and direct listings. Pakman also mentioned that following last year’s election, crypto optimism remains high, with founders eager to expand their teams, advance their products, and raise additional capital in the coming year.
While large technology firms continue to implement workforce reductions, blockchain startups are experiencing the opposite trend. According to recent data, 84% of these companies intend to expand their teams, an increase from 79.5% the previous year, and none plan to reduce staff, compared with 6.8% last year. Among those planning to hire, over half anticipate increasing headcount by 50% or more, with the strongest demand focused on Product and Engineering, as well as Business Development and Sales positions.
Projected 2026 Trends: Stablecoins, IPOs, And Apps
Founders surveyed identified fintech and stablecoins as the sectors most likely to experience growth in 2026, with 28% highlighting these areas, followed by consumer applications and real-world assets or tokenized assets at 20% each, and DeFi at 12%.
This represents a shift from the previous year, when consumer applications were seen as the leading growth sector. Additionally, 40% of respondents indicated plans to establish a DAO or a Foundation, or to pursue a public listing through an IPO, RTO, or direct listing within the next two years.
This interest in public markets and formal governance structures reflects a blockchain industry that has matured through the bear market and now perceives viable opportunities following the approval of spot Bitcoin ETFs in 2024 and a more supportive regulatory environment in the United States.
Many founders view 2026 as the first realistic window to pursue liquidity events that were previously unattainable, with 76% planning to raise capital next year, up from 70.5% in the previous year. Fundraising goals reported by respondents span various stages, with 20% targeting over $25 million and the remainder seeking amounts between under $5 million and $25 million.
Founders indicated that new capital would be used for a variety of purposes, including scaling go-to-market operations, expanding product teams, developing infrastructure for institutional clients, and driving consumer adoption as blockchain-based financial products reach mainstream users.
Alleviated Barriers Allow For Focus On Growth
Ben Fielding, Co-Founder and CEO of Gensyn, stated that “the world is still figuring out how to think about crypto as both a technology and asset class, and it’s putting unnecessary barriers, such as regulatory uncertainty, in the way of progress.”
When asked about the greatest challenges to growth, founders identified finding product-market fit as their primary concern at 24%, followed by access to capital at 20%. Generating revenue has also become a key priority, with 56% of respondents describing monetization as “important” or “extremely important” for their business in the coming year.
Founders report strong engagement with US regulatory developments, with 76% describing themselves as “informed” or “very well informed” about the current landscape, and no respondents indicating they are uninformed or consider regulation irrelevant to their operations. Concerns regarding the US regulatory environment have decreased compared with last year, suggesting that recent policy updates and clearer guidance have reduced significant barriers, allowing founders to focus more on execution and customer acquisition.
“What keeps me up at night is that every day, people don’t know that crypto has matured so much from when they last heard of it,” said Matt Nofi, Marketing Lead at Flow Foundation, in a written statement. “It’s not just scamcoins anymore. Programmable money has the opportunity to improve their lives so much,” he added.
“We have a real opportunity to advance this market responsibly,” said Jim Hiltner, Co-Founder and Head of Business Development at Superstate, in a written statement. “Even with a relatively permissive environment in the U.S., we’re still in the early days of integrating securities into DeFi, and we want to ensure we’re making thoughtful progress during this moment of alignment,” he added.
Disclaimer
In line with the Trust Project guidelines, please note that the information provided on this page is not intended to be and should not be interpreted as legal, tax, investment, financial, or any other form of advice. It is important to only invest what you can afford to lose and to seek independent financial advice if you have any doubts. For further information, we suggest referring to the terms and conditions as well as the help and support pages provided by the issuer or advertiser. MetaversePost is committed to accurate, unbiased reporting, but market conditions are subject to change without notice.
About The Author
Alisa, a dedicated journalist at the MPost, specializes in cryptocurrency, zero-knowledge proofs, investments, and the expansive realm of Web3. With a keen eye for emerging trends and technologies, she delivers comprehensive coverage to inform and engage readers in the ever-evolving landscape of digital finance.
More articles
Alisa, a dedicated journalist at the MPost, specializes in cryptocurrency, zero-knowledge proofs, investments, and the expansive realm of Web3. With a keen eye for emerging trends and technologies, she delivers comprehensive coverage to inform and engage readers in the ever-evolving landscape of digital finance.
