Traditional financial powerhouses are increasingly embedding cryptocurrency into core financial systems, and Fidelity Digital Assets says this integration will help propel the next phase of digital asset markets. Chris Kuiper, Vice President of Research at Fidelity Digital Assets, told CoinDesk that the digital asset sector is quietly transitioning from a niche experiment into a structural component of global finance, with 2026 potentially marking broader mainstream recognition of this shift.
Kuiper likened the evolution of cryptocurrency infrastructure to the “container moment” in global trade, a reference to how containerisation standardised shipping and enabled unprecedented efficiency and scale. In the financial context, he said, regulated custody solutions, institutional workflows, and compliance frameworks are being built out behind the scenes, setting the stage for a deeper integration of digital assets with traditional financial markets.
According to Fidelity’s research, the industry has reshaped significant portions of its operational and regulatory infrastructure even as token prices remained relatively flat in 2025. Major banks and asset managers have announced plans to develop digital asset capabilities, signaling commitment from established financial institutions to adopt digital currencies beyond speculative trading.
Wall Street’s growing involvement in cryptocurrency is evident in other developments as well. Institutional products such as spot Bitcoin and Ethereum exchange-traded funds have seen strong inflows, with data showing significant institutional demand across multiple crypto ETF offerings. Additionally, major banks, including Morgan Stanley and others, are moving to integrate crypto services into wealth management and broader financial product offerings.
Fidelity, which manages trillions of dollars in client assets, has already broadened its digital asset suite in recent years by offering Bitcoin and other digital assets to institutional clients while exploring tokenized funds and on-chain products, positioning itself at the forefront of bridging traditional finance and digital assets.
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