BlackRock analysts, in their thematic forecast for 2026, highlighted two key trends that will shape the future development of the digital economy — the scaling of artificial intelligence (AI) and the spread of asset tokenization.
This is reported by Business • Media
Growth in Investment in AI Infrastructure and Energy
The BlackRock report emphasizes that the implementation of AI is transitioning from a phase of experimentation to widespread application, leading to increased demand for infrastructure. The main “bottleneck” in this context is becoming electricity, data centers, and data transmission networks. As a result, a prolonged investment cycle in the modernization of energy systems and the construction of facilities that support the scaling of digital services is expected.
Experts at the company predict that total investments in AI infrastructure — from energy to data centers — could exceed $100 trillion by 2040. The growing number of computations required for modern services demands significant resources, stimulating the development of projects aimed at enhancing the resilience of digital and energy infrastructure. A separate section of the report is dedicated to investments in the field of artificial intelligence. Specifically, in 2025 alone, BlackRock estimates that AI companies could attract around $150 billion, with large deals like the OpenAI funding round already approaching $40 billion.
“The AI boom has already transitioned from the experimentation phase to the scaling phase, but this is what makes infrastructure a key ‘bottleneck’.”
Asset Tokenization and the Role of Stablecoins in the Crypto Market
According to the report, stablecoins and tokenization are becoming the main drivers for the crypto market. BlackRock emphasizes that the cryptocurrency market is “maturing” due to practical applications, primarily in financial transactions and payments. In transaction volumes, stablecoins are outpacing spot trading of crypto assets, indicating their growing role in financial infrastructure.
Particular attention is given to the Ethereum network, which accounts for over 65% of tokenized assets, making it a foundational infrastructure layer for tokenization. Stablecoins are viewed as a private case of tokenization, where the underlying asset is fiat currency; however, in the future, tokenization may expand to other asset classes.
BlackRock also notes the acceleration of institutional access to Bitcoin through ETFs. The iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) has set a record for fundraising speed: $70 billion in assets under management in just 341 trading days. Experts believe that the themes of AI and crypto assets are transitioning from trends to standalone strategies in investors’ portfolios.
Earlier, it was reported that, according to BlackRock’s estimates, investments in the development of AI infrastructure in 2026 could exceed $500 billion.