Global regulation of the digital asset sector moved from discussion to practical implementation and is no longer the main barrier to the development of the crypto market. On the contrary, it’s creating conditions for scaling, institutional participation, and the integration of digital assets into the traditional financial system.
According to the PwC Global Crypto Regulation Report 2026, the regulatory agenda for crypto-assets shifted from rulemaking to enforcement. Analysts note that appropriate legislative regimes are already in place in key jurisdictions, and regulators are now focused on supervision rather than on defining basic principles.
The report states that regulatory clarity is no longer the main obstacle to the growth of the crypto industry. Instead, regulation began to create conditions for scaling the digital asset market and integrating cryptocurrencies into the traditional financial system.
PwC analysts also recorded the impact of regulatory clarity on accelerating institutional participation. Banks, payment companies, and large corporations are actively integrating digital assets into payment chains, treasury operations, and internal financial processes.
The authors argue that stablecoins became a key element of this transformation. The document emphasizes a baseline consensus on the regulation of stable assets already formed in leading economies. In particular, clear requirements were established for full reserve backing, redemption at par, asset segregation, and compliance with AML/CFT standards. At the same time, differences in licensing, limits, and supervisory mechanisms between the U.S., the EU, the U.K., and Asia remain, forcing companies to adapt their operating models to specific jurisdictions.
PwC analysts also note changes in the competitive landscape of the digital asset market. Regulatory certainty enabled banks and FinTech companies to use shared payment and settlement infrastructure, including tokenized forms of money, while maintaining competition at the level of products, services, and customer experience. According to PwC, further market growth will depend not on the emergence of new rules but on companies’ ability to embed compliance requirements into their operating models and scale under fragmented global regulation.
In 2025, regulation of the cryptocurrency market remained highly fragmented on a global scale.
