Galaxy Digital Forecasts $50B Crypto ETF Inflows, 100+ New Funds in 2026

Galaxy Digital’s comprehensive 2026 forecast, which examines 26 critical areas, centers on the accelerating institutional embrace of cryptocurrency. The firm anticipates net inflows into U.S. spot crypto ETFs will surge past $50 billion, a significant leap from the $23 billion recorded in 2025. This projected doubling of capital is not based on speculative retail interest but on concrete structural shifts within traditional finance.

Two major catalysts are expected to drive this growth. First, major wirehouses are lifting restrictions that previously barred financial advisors from recommending crypto ETFs to clients, opening a vast new channel for institutional capital. Second, the anticipated entry of asset management giant Vanguard into the crypto fund space is seen as a monumental validation that will attract more conservative capital. Galaxy Digital specifically notes that Bitcoin and Ethereum exchange-traded funds alone are forecast to surpass their 2025 inflow levels, signaling deepening trust in these flagship assets.

Beyond soaring inflows, Galaxy Digital predicts a dramatic expansion in the variety of crypto investment vehicles available. The firm estimates that over 100 new crypto ETFs will debut in the U.S. in 2026. This includes more than 50 spot altcoin exchange-traded funds, alongside another 50 crypto ETFs that are not focused on single coins, such as multi-asset or leveraged products.

This product explosion follows the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s recent approval of generic listing standards for such funds, which is expected to streamline the launch process. The groundwork was laid in 2025, which saw over 15 spot crypto ETFs launched for altcoins including Solana (SOL), XRP, Hedera (HBAR), Dogecoin (DOGE), Litecoin (LTC), and Chainlink (LINK). Galaxy anticipates that other notable assets yet to file for spot ETFs will soon follow, significantly broadening the investable crypto universe for institutions and retail investors alike.

The bullish outlook extends beyond exchange-traded funds into the corporate landscape. Galaxy Digital forecasts that more than 15 cryptocurrency companies will pursue initial public offerings (IPOs) or uplistings in the United States in 2026. This builds on a trend from the past year, which saw 10 crypto-related firms, including Galaxy Digital itself, successfully go public or uplist.

The firm identifies a deep bench of potential candidates, noting that more than 290 crypto and blockchain companies have completed significant private funding rounds since 2018. These firms are now positioned to seek U.S. listings as regulatory conditions improve. Among the companies believed to be potential candidates for an IPO or uplisting in 2026 are European crypto investment firm CoinShares, custody specialist BitGo (which has already filed confidentially), blockchain analytics provider Chainalysis, and institutional trading platform FalconX.

Galaxy Digital’s optimistic projections arrive even as the crypto market experiences a period of consolidation. At the time of the report, Bitcoin was trading at $87,480, representing a 30% retracement from the all-time highs reached in October and a 3% drop over the past month. Similarly, Ethereum was trading at $2,930, sitting 40% below its peak and down 3% over the past 30 days.

This context is crucial; the forecast is not predicated on short-term price rallies but on long-term, structural adoption by the traditional financial system. The convergence of easier access via wirehouses, validation from titans like Vanguard, a burgeoning ETF product ecosystem, and a maturing corporate sector ready for public markets creates a powerful thesis for 2026. If Galaxy Digital’s predictions hold, the coming year could mark a definitive transition for crypto from a niche asset class to a mainstream component of institutional portfolios.