Binance Says Crypto Is Leaving Retail Era as Institutions Move In

Ben Graham · 8 horas atrás

Something special happened after January 2024. After years of rejection, criticism, and pure hate for crypto, the US SEC finally approved the first batch of spot Bitcoin ETFs. A few months before this milestone, BTC USDT, and some of the best cryptos to buy began rallying. And the boom continued for the better part of H1 2024. As expected, there were obstacles here and there, but after January 2024, crypto was officially open for the big boys. They wasted no time: Billions flew to BlackRock and other spot Bitcoin ETF issuers within the first few days after launch.

Two years later, in early 2026, Richard Teng, the CEO of Binance, is convinced crypto has moved beyond its retail‑trader phase as institutions lock in long‑term exposure. Talking to X, Teng said the last 24 months have been instrumental for crypto, marked by institutions diving in and committing billions.

Crypto is the only asset class in history to be built from the bottom up.

After years of being retail-led, the last 24 months have seen a massive influx of institutional capital. The corporate pool is deeper than it’s ever been.

— Richard Teng (@_RichardTeng) January 12, 2026

In response to this post, the Bitcoin price held firm above $90,000 as ETF flows stayed steady rather than explosive.

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Binance CEO Optimism: What Does “Beyond the Retail Era” Actually Mean?

Whether buyers have it take to push to fresh highs remains to be seen. However, what’s clear is that Teng’s view fits a broader trend where Wall Street money, not social media hype, now drives many market moves. Meanwhile, if we are to break down what the CEO meant, determining whether his words hint at what the mega exchange thinks of crypto and its valuation in 2026, then we have to pause and reflect.

Binance talks about a “retail era,” it means the early days when prices jumped or crashed because everyday traders rushed in and out. Think meme coins, hype cycles, and panic selling. Institutions are the opposite. They move slowly, deploy huge sums, and plan to hold for years. That shift shows up clearly in spot Bitcoin ETFs. Through this complex derivative, it is possible for an institution to buy BTC through a regular broker instead of directly handling wallets and private keys.

As of early 2026, spot Bitcoin ETF issuers cumulatively manage over $118B. BlackRock’s product, IBIT, is the largest, controlling over $62Bn of BTC-backed spot Bitcoin ETF shares.

(Source: SosoValue)

What’s more? Morgan Stanley recently filed for Bitcoin and Solana ETFs, expanding the menu of crypto products for traditional investors. JPMorgan is also exploring crypto trading services for institutional clients, another signal that banks now treat crypto as a standard asset class.

JPMorgan is exploring offering crypto trading to institutional clients.

JPM already partnered with Coinbase on consumer crypto access earlier this year.

Is that enough, or do they buy someone? pic.twitter.com/jyJt954hS3

— matthew sigel, recovering CFA (@matthew_sigel) December 22, 2025

If you are a crypto investor, this shift matters: Institutional money behaves differently. Typically, Wall Street players don’t usually chase +10% daily pumps. Instead, their approach is different: They look for regulated access, liquidity, and long‑term exposure. That can calm wild swings, but it also means fewer sudden moonshots.

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Will Institutional Demand Change What “Crypto” Means

Institutions aren’t just buying Bitcoin. They are moving into tokenized real‑world assets (RWAs), which means putting things like bonds or funds onto blockchains. As 99Bitcoins reported, there is institutional demand for RWAs, and Coinbase is at the forefront, pushing regulators to approve more crypto products. As of January 13, over $8.9Bn of US Treasuries had been tokenized.

(Source: rwa.xyz)

For regular investors, this explains why crypto headlines feel more “finance‑heavy” lately. Less meme energy. More talk about yields, custody, and regulation. Crypto is starting to look boring. And boring often means mature. The only downside is that fast retail‑driven rallies may become rarer as institutions dominate volume.

On the flipside, while the chop will surely drop as the big boys tie their billions in crypto, it also means the upside is now more stable. Bigger players can smooth out extreme moves and make long‑term holding less stressful. The lower the stress level and fear, the safer it is to confidently HODL without fears of getting robbed.

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The post Binance Says Crypto Is Leaving Retail Era as Institutions Move In appeared first on 99Bitcoins.