Consensus 2026 Highlights Crypto Adoption Gap Despite Industry Growth

The Consensus 2026 conference in Miami brought together thousands of industry professionals for three days of panels and discussions on various topics related to cryptocurrency payments.

According to the Sandmark Crypto Intelligence Report 2026, only 6% of crypto investors consider digital assets mainstream for payments. The report also ranked the United States 11th out of 14 countries surveyed in terms of everyday crypto integration, with CCN's Global Crypto Lifestyle Index highlighting a persistent gap in merchant adoption.

The conference featured discussions on tokenized treasuries and stablecoins, with some speakers predicting the stablecoin market could reach $3 trillion by 2031. Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse argued that the industry should move beyond internal divisions to support passage of the CLARITY Act.