
Arcanum, C² Ventures, and UVECON.VC founders discuss institutional onramps, tokenised securities, and regulatory shifts shaping 2026 flows.
A panel at the Hong Kong Web3 Festival brought together three capital allocators to map how money enters the crypto ecosystem in 2026. Michael Ivanov, CEO of Arcanum, Ciara Sun, founder and managing partner of C² Ventures, and Ivan Ivanov, founder of UVECON.VC and RWA SUMMIT, discussed the shift from retail-driven flows to institutional onramps and the growing role of real-world asset tokenisation. The discussion signals a maturing landscape where capital entry points are defined less by exchange spread and more by regulatory frameworks, custody solutions, and structured products.
The event itself is a key venue for Asian and global crypto players. The trio of speakers covers distinct segments: Arcanum focuses on digital asset management, C² Ventures on early-stage investments, and UVECON.VC with its RWA SUMMIT platform bridges traditional finance and tokenised assets. Their collective view implies that 2026 capital flows will be fragmented across multiple onramps – not just spot exchanges. This matches the broader trend of institutional adoption accelerating through regulated channels.
Simple exchange purchases remain the default for retail. The panel addressed how larger capital moves differently. Tokenised securities, stablecoin issuance, and OTC desks now handle a growing share. The SEC tokenised stock exemption (link: SEC Tokenised Stock Exemption This Week Redefines Platform Risk) could further legitimise these routes, allowing traditional assets to settle on blockchain without triggering full securities registration. Meanwhile, Republican CBDC ban vote (link: Republican CBDC Ban Vote Nears – What It Means for Crypto) introduces a regulatory wildcard. If a US CBDC is blocked, private stablecoins and tokenised deposits may become the dominant onramps for institutional capital.
Liquidity in 2026 will depend on how these entry points interact with DeFi and CeFi. The panel’s focus on RWA suggests that tokenised bonds, real estate, and commodities will draw capital that previously avoided crypto volatility. Brazil’s Bradesco entering crypto custody (link: Bradesco's Crypto Custody Entry Reshapes Brazil Banking Sector) is a case in point: banks are building the pipes for institutional capital. Geographic shifts also matter. Hong Kong’s regulatory clarity positions it as a hub for Asian capital flows, while the SEC’s evolving stance determines US participation.
The panel did not offer hard numbers or specific forecasts. The value lies in the direction: capital entry is becoming less about buying a token on an exchange and more about choosing a regulated gateway. For traders and allocators, the next catalyst is the SEC’s final rule on tokenised securities. If it favours issuer-friendly third-party verification, expect a wave of institutional RWA mandates. If the rule is restrictive, capital will continue flowing through private OTC networks and offshore venues like Hong Kong. Either way, 2026 capital flows will not look like 2023’s or 2024’s. The onramps themselves are the story.
Prepared with AlphaScala research tooling and grounded in primary market data: live prices, fundamentals, SEC filings, hedge-fund holdings, and insider activity. Each story is checked against AlphaScala publishing rules before release. Educational coverage, not personalized advice.