Ripple President Says Half of Fortune 500 Companies Will Use Crypto by 2026

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Ripple’s president, Monica Long, asserts that blockchain technology is set to become the backbone of modern finance, with global balance sheets holding over $1 trillion in digital assets by the end of 2026.

In a recent X post, she said that she expects roughly half of Fortune 500 companies to have formalized digital asset strategies, surpassing just crypto exposure.

Mass Crypto Adoption on the Horizon

According to Long’s predictions, approximately 250 US corporations will either hold cryptocurrencies or incorporate blockchain-powered financial instruments by the end of 2026.

The surge in institutional adoption is attributed to the crypto and blockchain industry’s efforts over the past few years to establish both technical and regulatory groundwork for mass adoption, bringing the sector into the mainstream.

Stablecoins and Institutional Integration

Long predicts that stablecoins will become a primary tool for global settlement in the coming years due to regulatory advancements, large-scale adoptions by heavyweights like Visa and Mastercard, and their overall utility.

She believes those digital assets will become fully integrated into payment systems, acting as the “foundational” rail rather than an alternative one.

In terms of institutional custody, Long anticipates a wave of financial institutions to start directly holding cryptocurrencies to support their blockchain strategies. This shift is expected to accelerate the use of digital assets across various sectors, including banks, service providers, and crypto companies.

Regulatory Advancements and AI Integration

Long also expects regulatory agencies to continue fostering a more favorable environment for cryptocurrencies, which would encourage broader adoption in regulated markets.

Moreover, she highlighted the convergence of artificial intelligence (AI) and blockchain technology as key drivers behind future advancements in the industry. As AI systems become more sophisticated, they could assess creditworthiness or risk profiles without exposing sensitive data, improving efficiency and privacy across lending operations.

Crypto Regulations and Adopted Strategies

Looking back at 2025, a Coinbase survey revealed that six out of ten Fortune 500 executives were already engaged in blockchain initiatives.

Companies with crypto holdings are becoming increasingly common, such as GameStop, Block Inc, and Tesla. Additionally, digital asset treasury (DAT) companies have proliferated from just four in 2020 to over 200 today, with nearly 100 formed in 2025 alone.

Author

Steven Walgenbach

Steven's passion for cryptocurrency and blockchain technology began in 2014, inspiring him to immerse himself in the field. He notably secured a top 5 world ranking in robotics. While he initially pursued a computer science degree at the University of Texas at Arlington, he chose to pause his studies after two semesters to take a more hands-on approach in advancing cryptocurrency technology. During this period, he actively worked on multiple patents related to cryptocurrency and blockchain. Additionally, Steven has explored various areas of the financial sector, including banking and financial markets, developing prototypes such as fully autonomous trading bots and intuitive interfaces that streamline blockchain integration, among other innovations.

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