CoinDesk Research
Latest from CoinDesk Research
Tron Network - Q1 2026
With USDT on TRON surpassing $85 billion and protocol fees reaching $82 million, TRON cemented its stablecoin infrastructure lead while expanding into institutional derivatives and agentic payments in Q1 2026.
Digital Assets: Quarterly Review and Outlook Q1
Digital assets struggled in Q1 2026, driven down by tight macro, geopolitical uncertainty, and weak institutional flows. Our report examines what went wrong, what went right, and what's next – including the growing institutional appetite for crypto.
Spot Trading Volumes Drops to the Lowest Level Since September 2024
In March, spot volumes fell 15.7% to $1.27T, recording the lowest monthly figures since September 2024. Derivatives volumes declined 3.20% to $3.99T.
Stablecoin Market Cap Hits All-Time High of $317B as Tokenized Assets Surpass $16B
The second consecutive month of gains pushed the sector to a new record, even as an $80 million exploit briefly sent one stablecoin to near zero.
Encryption Supremacy: Zcash and Privacy in the Age of Scale
Most crypto privacy models weaken as blockchain data grows. Encryption-based models like Zcash strengthen. CoinDesk Research maps the five privacy approaches and examines the widening gap.
The Definitive Stablecoin Landscape Series: North America
As stablecoins evolve into core financial infrastructure, North America leads. This report maps the regulation, market shifts, and players driving adoption.
The RWA Yield Infrastructure Trade
RWA tokenization is growing. Direct token exposure doesn't capture it. The infra play is Morpho and Fluid - both with caveats.
Pudgy Penguins: Challenging the Pokemon and Disney Legacy in the Global IP Race
CoinDesk Research looks into how Pudgy Penguins disrupts traditional toys market via a phygital model. With 2M+ units sold, they scale via global partnerships and events.
Stablecoin Market Dominance Surges As Digital Assets Trend Lower
Stablecoin market dominance surged to 13.3% in February, driven by the decline in price action of digital assets.
Digital Assets 2026: Above the Noise
Crypto enters 2026 with muted sentiment and a sharp drawdown in Bitcoin, but the industry’s underlying fundamentals are materially stronger than the 2021 cycle — with stablecoins above $300B, higher sustained on-chain volumes, and growing evidence that blockchain rails are expanding into payments, tokenized assets, and multi-asset trading.
