How Will Blockchain Become Part of Daily Life by 2036? Tiger Research Looks at the Future of Currency, Assets, and AI Payments

A future scenario assuming the blockchain industry in 2036 suggests that it may not just be a simple imagination but rather an extension of structural changes that are already underway. Tiger Research has presented the possibility that stablecoins, tokenization of real assets, chain integration, and AI agent payment infrastructure could emerge as the core pillars of the digital economy in the next decade. The report diagnoses that while blockchain has not yet completely transformed the world, the way the technology penetrates is evolving in a gradual yet decisive direction.

The first scene presented by the research is the change in 'currency'. In countries vulnerable to inflation, even if their national currency legally exists, the moment it loses trust in real life, dollar-based stablecoins can establish themselves as the de facto means of payment. According to the report, as of May 2026, the total market capitalization of stablecoins is approximately $320 billion, with an annual transaction volume of around $28 trillion. However, the actual proportion used for payments is less than 6%, with most utilized for trading within exchanges and as collateral. Nonetheless, Tiger Research believes that significant changes may first appear in countries where currency value is unstable, rather than in major currency areas like the United States. If salary payments, tax payments, and national bond issuances gradually shift towards stablecoins, the traditional monetary sovereignty of nations could also weaken.

Such changes are connected to the rearrangement of the economic system beyond mere payment convenience. In regions with low bank accessibility or stringent foreign exchange regulations, stablecoins have a greater potential to function as savings, remittance, and payroll management tools. Tiger Research evaluated that the essence of stablecoins, based on the characteristics of regions where actual usage is concentrated, is closer to 'alternative currency infrastructure' than 'speculative assets'. This represents a different level of adoption pathway compared to assets that function as stores of value or universal networks, like Bitcoin (BTC) or Ethereum (ETH).

The second pillar is the 'tokenization of everything'. The report describes the investment environment in 2036, envisioning a market where traditional assets such as stocks, government bonds, real estate REITs, and infrastructure funds are traded 24/7 on blockchain. The background includes the rapid investment entry of Generation Z and the demand for borderless asset access. A survey by the World Economic Forum in 2025 found that 30% of Generation Z started investing as soon as they became adults, with an investment education experience rate of 86%. A survey by Coinbase in Q4 2025 indicated that 73% of young people responded that it is difficult to accumulate wealth through traditional means alone. Tiger Research believes that these generational tendencies will support the spread of real asset tokenization and on-chain investment products.

In June 2025, tokens collateralized 1:1 with major U.S. stocks appeared in large numbers on decentralized exchanges, allowing users to access them without going through complex border regulations or traditional financial intermediaries. However, the report pointed out that this trend also comes with risks such as volatility, excessive leverage, and regulatory gaps. Even if asset tokenization is packaged as 'market democratization', it could actually reinforce a speculative environment that operates 24/7, and thus, a cautious view is warranted regarding overly optimistic comments.

The third change is the restructuring of the blockchain infrastructure itself. Many Layer 2 solutions and independent chains, once considered scalability solutions, may ultimately face a large-scale integration phase amid survival competition. The report illustrates the limitations of growth models centered around airdrops and incentives through the case of a virtual chain called 'AllChain', which soared to a total value locked (TVL) of $2.2 billion in June 2024. The narrative shows that after the exhaustion of token listings and rewards, users rapidly left, with 97% of the deposits disappearing in just one year, reflecting the liquidity inflow and outflow structure that has been repeated in the actual market. The belief that the number of chains equals scalability is losing strength in the face of fragmented liquidity, weak security, and high maintenance costs, according to the report.

Ultimately, the surviving infrastructure is likely to be a few core networks that provide deep liquidity, strong security, and a smooth user experience, rather than an increasing number of chains. This has implications for the rollup integration strategy of the Ethereum (ETH) ecosystem, as well as the trend toward high-performance structures of single networks like Solana (SOL). Tiger Research analyzed that the outcome of the blockchain infrastructure competition no longer depends on 'how many can be created' but rather on 'how sustainably the economic structure can be designed'.

The fourth and most long-term change presented is the 'machine economy' based on AI agents. According to the report, by around 2029, more than half of global web traffic may originate from AI agents and bots rather than humans. In this case, the banner ads that were the core revenue model of the existing web economy would weaken sharply, as machines can read and summarize content but do not have the 'eyes' to 'see' ads. As an alternative, the report identifies the 'x402' standard released by Coinbase in May 2025 as a significant turning point. This restores the HTTP 402 Payment Required response code into a usable payment infrastructure, allowing AI agents to directly pay for content and data.

If this model takes root, the media, data, and API industries could be restructured based on the number of agent calls and payment volumes rather than human clicks. If a structure of micro-payments accumulates in large quantities, a more direct and transparent revenue model than the existing ad-based web could emerge. This is seen as an example of blockchain not merely remaining as a financial infrastructure but also expanding into digital information distribution and machine-to-machine payments.

In summary, this research suggests that the way blockchain will change the future will be less about grand revolutions and more about penetrating the gaps in daily life and systems. Stablecoins will replace fragile currency orders, asset tokenization will break down the boundaries of investment markets, the chain industry will be restructured around a few central players after excessive competition, and AI agents will create a new payment economy. Although 2036 has not yet arrived, Tiger Research's analysis indicates that blockchain technology has not failed to change the world; rather, we may have interpreted that change solely in the language of existing industries. Ultimately, the winners of the next decade are likely to be projects that seize the 'intersections' of currency, markets, infrastructure, and content.