As the speculative fever of 2025 cools, there is a noticeable shift back to the "Electronic Cash" narrative within the crypto community. Assets that focus on transactional utility, such as Bitcoin Cash, are seeing a resurgence in social interest and merchant adoption. This trend is a reaction to the high fees and congestion often seen on major networks during periods of extreme volatility. In 2026, the market is beginning to reward projects that can function as frictionless global payment rails. The growth of the iGaming and remittance sectors using these faster, cheaper chains is providing a "fundamental floor" that pure "store of value" assets are currently lacking. This divergence is a key theme for Q1 2026, as investors look for "real-world" usage to justify valuations in a high-interest-rate environment where "hopium" is no longer enough.
