2026-01-12 03:27:59

The M&A activity in the crypto industry shows no signs of cooling down. In 2025, it set a new historical record, with transaction volume surpassing $37 billion, a year-on-year increase of up to 7 times. The number of transactions also surged, reaching 356 deals, a 74% increase quarter-over-quarter.

Can this momentum continue into 2026? Industry insiders remain optimistic. Karl-Martin Ahrend, co-founder of M&A consulting firm Areta, stated that the transaction scale next year is expected to hit new highs. However, how far it can go depends on several key factors—whether the regulatory framework is clear enough, the direction of interest rates, whether investor risk appetite can be maintained, and whether project valuations are attractive enough.

An interesting phenomenon worth noting is that traditional financial institutions are increasingly interested in the crypto space, especially in the areas of stablecoins and payments. They are no longer concerned with building in-house or acquiring externally, but prefer to directly acquire existing crypto capabilities. This means that future M&A market participants will be more diverse, and transaction types will become more varied.

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TokenDustCollector

· 01-12 19:43

370 billion USD? Oh my, traditional finance is really starting to take crypto seriously, no longer pretending to be high and mighty haha --- Wait, with a 7x growth, any small regulatory change could ruin everything... --- Traditional giants are pouring money into stablecoins and payments, it feels like 2026 will be even crazier --- By the way, the valuation needs to be tempered; it’s indeed a bit inflated right now --- 356 transactions, indicating that small projects are being eaten up by big players very quickly --- If interest rates don’t decrease... hmm, it doesn’t look very optimistic --- Traditional finance really has lowered its stance; is this a good thing or a bad thing? That’s a question --- It feels just like the hot real estate market, the bubble is probably about to burst

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GasFeeNightmare

· 01-12 03:58

37 billion dollars? That's the amount I haven't saved even after staying up all night, feeling anxious.

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ApeShotFirst

· 01-12 03:53

$37 billion? Crazy, crazy, this is the real main upward wave, brothers! Traditional financial giants are starting to scoop up positions, I knew this wave was definitely not over. Stablecoins and the payments sector are being targeted by the financial oligarchs, what does that mean? It means this thing is really going to become infrastructure! Can it really continue until next year? Don't scare me...

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BottomMisser

· 01-12 03:33

$37 billion? Wow, traditional finance is really not pretending anymore and is starting to buy the dip. --- 7x increase? Why do I feel like my bag hasn't grown that fast... --- Regarding stablecoins and payments, traditional finance suddenly woke up? It's a bit late, buddy. --- Still waiting for clear regulations? I think it might be more likely to wait until 2027 haha. --- 356 transactions, I just want to ask how many are for pump-and-dump schemes... --- Real players are still waiting for interest rates to decline; those entering now are all gamblers. --- Traditional finance directly acquiring existing capabilities really changes the game. --- Valuation attractiveness? Which project is attractive in valuation right now? They're all virtual. --- I believe it will hit new highs again next year, but the question is, can the new high be sustained? --- Diversified participants sound good, but in reality, it's just more internal competition when whales come in.

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NonFungibleDegen

· 01-12 03:28

ngl the $370b number is wild but like... trad finance finally aping in? that's the real alpha move here ser

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