The cryptocurrency market has entered a downturn in early 2026, with Bitcoin underperforming against the S&P 500 and gold, despite recent ETF approvals. However, key metrics indicate growth in certain areas. Stablecoin market capitalization has surged to $300 billion, a sixfold increase since 2020, with weekly trading volumes doubling to $60 billion. Ethereum remains dominant in the stablecoin sector, but BNB Chain has shown remarkable growth, with a 133% year-over-year increase. BNB Chain's decentralized exchange (DEX) trading volume rose by 100% in 2025, once capturing 30% of the DEX market share in July, surpassing Ethereum and Solana. User engagement has also expanded, with Solana reaching 4.1 million daily active users and BNB Chain 1.9 million.