Bitcoin's real story in 2025 didn't play out in price rallies alone. The real progress shows up where it matters most—institutions building serious exposure, credit markets opening doors for Bitcoin collateral, and accounting rules finally catching up to treat digital assets like legitimate holdings.

We looked back at how far institutional adoption has come this year and charted what's ahead for 2026. The shift is clear: Bitcoin stopped being a retail gamble and started becoming infrastructure. When banks integrate Bitcoin into their treasury playbooks, when auditors recognize it on balance sheets, when lenders treat it as creditworthy collateral—that's when the game changes.

The bitcoin story now is less about "when moon" and more about "when mainstream." And that shift? It's already underway.