Crypto Treasury Firms Face Reckoning in 2026 as Market Concentration Intensifies
The digital asset treasury sector, once a darling of institutional investors, shows signs of strain as valuations collapse. Shares of major DATCOs (Digital Asset Treasury Companies) have plummeted amid a broader crypto downturn, reversing gains made during Bitcoin's October 2025 peak when Wall Street flooded the space with capital.
Market Darwinism is taking hold: only firms delivering tangible value—through on-chain yield strategies or profit-sharing models—are weathering the storm. The herd has thinned from 130+ players in mid-2025 to a handful of survivors, with Bitcoin-heavy balance sheets now proving more liability than asset for many.
Data from BitcoinTreasuries.net reveals 145 entities still hold over 1.5M BTC ($140B), but the writing is on the wall. 'The next phase rewards operators who treat crypto as a production asset, not just a speculative reserve,' notes a sector analyst, pointing to firms leveraging DeFi protocols like ETHFI, ENA, or PENDLE for yield.