State of the crypto industry 2026

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Entering a regulated
maturity era

Crypto isn’t in “growth at all costs” anymore. 2026 is defined by regulated maturity: clearer enforcement, higher expectations from market participants, and fraud that’s become sophisticated and more automated. In that environment, trust is the product—and the onboarding experience is where that trust is won or lost.

The next wave of winners will treat compliance and verification as a growth system, not a box-ticking exercise. That means designing journeys that are friction-aware, adapting checks to risk in real time, and building decisioning that’s explainable to regulators and reassuring to users. Teams that get this right don’t just reduce the number of bad actors. They protect conversion, improve customer lifetime value, and unlock new markets faster.

The primary data sources
for this report

4,000,000+fraud attempts analyzed
2,000,000+users verified daily
300+Crypto companies surveyed

Discover the latest state of the crypto industry in 2025

Get a clear read on today's crypto landscape and the practical moves teams are using to stay ahead.

What regulated maturity means
How compliance expectations are changing
How verification becomes a competitive edge
How to balance fraud and friction
Travel Rule readiness: where gaps remain
Why hybrid verification is gaining ground
How to scale with confidence

What is KYC in crypto?

KYC (Know Your Customer) in crypto is the identity verification process crypto businesses use to confirm who a customer is and assess risk

What is crypto Travel Rule?

The Travel Rule is a compliance requirement that obligates crypto service providers to collect and transmit certain sender and receiver information for qualifying transfers.

How to prevent crypto fraud?

Preventing crypto fraud is about combining risk controls with a low-friction customer journey. Use layered defenses like device and behavioral signals, sanctions/PEP screening, transaction monitoring, velocity limits, and step-up verification for higher-risk activity, plus employee training and clear user communication to reduce phishing and social engineering.

What is crypto licensing?

Crypto licensing is regulatory authorization to operate specific crypto activities (e.g., exchange, custody, payments, brokerage) in a jurisdiction. For B2B teams, licensing usually requires formal AML/KYC programs, governance, audits, security controls, reporting, and ongoing compliance monitoring.

What are crypto regulations?

Crypto regulations are the laws and supervisory rules that govern how crypto products and providers operate. For businesses, they commonly cover AML/KYC, consumer protection, custody and safeguarding, marketing rules, market integrity, stablecoins, and reporting, often with different requirements depending on the country and business model.

What is crypto compliance?

Crypto compliance is the operating system a crypto company uses to meet regulatory obligations and manage financial crime risk. It typically includes KYC/AML, sanctions screening, Travel Rule processes, suspicious activity monitoring and reporting, record-keeping, audits, and documented controls that are explainable to regulators and scalable for growth.

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