Binance’s Asia-Pacific head SB Seker said crypto’s 2026 outlook will depend on three factors: regulation, liquidity, and the industry’s shift from speculation toward real utility.
In an interview with Business Standard, Seker said the next phase of crypto growth will be shaped less by meme-driven trading and more by infrastructure, stablecoins, tokenization, and institutional participation.
His comments come at a difficult moment for Binance. Reuters reported that the exchange is set to lose permission to serve clients in the European Union after Greece’s market regulator moved to reject its application under the EU’s MiCA framework, according to two people familiar with the matter.
Under MiCA, crypto firms must secure the required licence by the end of June to continue serving customers across the bloc. Binance has said it believes it meets all MiCA requirements and will work to support an orderly process while minimizing disruption to users.
Binance points to utility as the next crypto cycle
Seker said higher interest rates, changing regulation, and the move away from purely speculative trading are the main forces shaping digital assets in 2026, according to Business Standard.
He argued that the next stage of the market will be led by infrastructure use cases rather than short-term hype. Stablecoins, tokenized real-world assets, and institutional trading are expected to play a larger role as the market matures.
The numbers support part of that argument. Seker said the total crypto market capitalization crossed $4 trillion in 2025. Binance also reported a year-over-year increase in institutional trading volume, while its over-the-counter fiat trading rose 210% in 2025.
Stablecoin supply now stands above $300 billion, while tokenized real-world assets crossed $19.3 billion by the end of the first quarter of 2026, Seker said in the interview.
Europe tests Binance’s regulatory pitch
Seker pointed to regulatory clarity as one of the biggest catalysts for institutional participation. He cited the US GENIUS and CLARITY Acts, Europe’s MiCA framework, and licensing regimes in Asia as examples of rules that could make it easier for institutions to enter the market.
That message now sits beside Binance’s own regulatory challenge in Europe. Reuters reported that the Greek Hellenic Capital Market Commission is expected to reject Binance’s MiCA application, which would prevent the exchange from continuing to serve EU-based customers from July.
Binance said in a post on X that it would “support an orderly process and minimise disruption” to users. The company also said it believes it has satisfied MiCA’s requirements and that the Greek regulator completed its review without giving a formal indication of rejection.
The contrast is significant. Binance is publicly arguing that clear regulation will support the next stage of crypto growth, while its own access to one of the world’s largest regulated markets remains uncertain.
India remains a growth market despite tax friction
Seker described India as a strategic priority for Binance. He said India has ranked first globally in crypto adoption for three consecutive years, supported by a young population, mobile penetration above 80%, and adoption across tier-1 to tier-4 cities.
But taxation remains a major constraint. Seker said India’s 1% Tax Deducted at Source on virtual digital assets affects capital efficiency and trading frequency because it limits how quickly traders can reuse capital.
He called for a risk-proportionate framework covering custody standards, client asset segregation, and consumer protections. That would allow India to maintain oversight while giving crypto businesses clearer rules for growth.
Binance executive Richard Teng made a similar argument earlier in 2026. In an interview with the Economic Times during the World Economic Forum, he said regulatory clarity would be important for India’s crypto adoption and argued that digital assets could complement the country’s UPI payment system by enabling 24/7 borderless payments.
Stablecoins and tokenization lead the APAC thesis
Seker identified three growth drivers for Asia over the next three to five years.
The first is the integration of blockchain into traditional banking through tokenized real-world assets. The second is the use of stablecoins as settlement instruments in equity markets and cross-border payments. The third is Web3 infrastructure, including layer 2 networks that can support scalable applications.
He also pointed to growing institutional exposure to Bitcoin. More than 1.07 million BTC is already controlled by 174 public companies and ETFs, Seker said, arguing that institutional involvement has moved beyond early experimentation.
The broader point is that Binance sees the next growth cycle as infrastructure-led. Instead of relying mainly on speculative trading, the industry is trying to build use cases tied to settlement, asset issuance, custody, and institutional access.
Binance faces a deadline for its EU future
The next test is regulatory rather than technical. If Binance fails to secure MiCA approval by the end of June, it could lose the ability to serve EU customers from July.
That would create a major setback for a company that is publicly promoting regulatory clarity as a path to mainstream adoption.
For investors and crypto firms, the tension is clear. The industry’s long-term growth story depends on stablecoins, tokenization, institutional liquidity, and clearer rules. But Binance’s European troubles show that regulatory clarity can also exclude major players that fail to meet local expectations.
The next few weeks will determine whether Binance can preserve its EU access or become the clearest example of how MiCA is reshaping the crypto market.
