Grayscale: The 2026 Cryptocurrency Market Focuses on US Regulatory Legislation and Quantum Computing Threats

Gelonghui December 30 | According to a Grayscale report, the crypto market will enter an adjustment phase in the fourth quarter of 2025. The returns of all six major crypto sectors are expected to be negative, with privacy-related assets outperforming other sectors, particularly Zcash (ZEC). As blockchain technology integrates more deeply with traditional finance, demand for privacy tools is becoming increasingly evident. The usage rate of Zcash's 'shielded accounts' continues to grow, reflecting a rising demand for privacy features. Other notable privacy assets include Monero (XMR), Decred (DCR), Dash (DASH), Basic Attention Token (BAT), and Beldex (BDX). Among them, Dash's daily trading volume doubled in Q4, Brave browser, associated with BAT, surpassed 100 million monthly active users, and Beldex achieved cross-chain interoperability by integrating LayerZero. Looking ahead to 2026, the market will focus on two key themes: first, the U.S. Congress’s legislative framework for the crypto market structure, which is expected to become law and provide traditional financial rules for crypto capital markets; second, the potential threat of quantum computing to blockchain encryption methods. Although quantum computing technology remains in its early stages, it may prompt the market to evaluate blockchain’s ability to address quantum challenges.