The Blockchain Infrastructure Revolution: A New Turning Point for Layer 2 Solutions and Corporate Adoption by 2026
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Structural Changes in the Blockchain Ecosystem Driven by Layer 2 Innovations
As of early 2026, blockchain technology has entered a new phase of corporate adoption by addressing scalability and cost-efficiency issues. The rapid development of Layer 2 solutions is particularly driving this change, with Ethereum network transaction fees dropping to an average of $0.02, a 90% decrease from 2023. Simultaneously, transactions per second (TPS) have surpassed 100,000, achieving performance levels that can compete with existing centralized payment systems. These technological advancements have opened new possibilities for integrating blockchain into core business processes beyond mere cryptocurrency transactions.
The global blockchain market size is projected to grow by 52.4%, from $67.2 billion in 2025 to $102.4 billion in 2026, with enterprise blockchain solutions expected to account for 68% of the total market. The Asia-Pacific region is driving 43% of this growth, with South Korea playing a leading role in blockchain technology adoption through digital government initiatives and the K-Digital New Deal policy. Samsung SDS, based in Seoul, announced that its blockchain platform ‘Nexledger’ secured 143 corporate clients by Q4 2025, with an annual transaction volume exceeding $7.8 billion.
The core of Layer 2 technology is to dramatically improve transaction processing speed while maintaining the security of the main blockchain. Technologies like Optimistic Rollups and ZK Rollups, which bundle thousands of transactions into a single record on the main chain, significantly reduce network load. Solutions based on ZK-STARK technology are particularly attracting the attention of financial institutions by addressing both privacy protection and scalability. JP Morgan Chase in the U.S. has applied ZK Rollup technology to its JPM Coin network, building a system capable of processing $32 billion in daily transactions.
Meanwhile, advancements in interchain technology are also noteworthy. As cross-chain protocols mature, enabling seamless data and asset movement between different blockchain networks, companies can now implement multi-chain strategies without being tied to a specific blockchain. The IBC (Inter-Blockchain Communication) protocol of the Cosmos ecosystem currently connects 47 independent blockchains, with monthly cross-chain transaction volumes reaching $15.6 billion. This environment allows companies to selectively utilize blockchains optimized for their specific business needs.
Acceleration of Corporate Adoption and Industry-Specific Blockchain Use Cases
By 2026, corporate adoption of blockchain technology has moved beyond the experimental stage to full-scale commercialization. In the supply chain management sector, global companies like Walmart, Nestlé, and Unilever are transparently managing the entire process from product origin to final consumer using blockchain-based tracking systems. Walmart, in particular, has reduced the time to trace the cause of food safety incidents from seven days to 2.2 seconds using the IBM Food Trust network, achieving an annual cost-saving effect of $320 million.
In the financial services sector, the realization of Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) projects is driving a surge in demand for blockchain infrastructure. The Bank of Korea’s digital won pilot program has achieved a stable daily transaction volume of 500,000 and a TPS of 2,000 through its second-phase trial. In this process, SK Telecom, based in Seoul, developed a CBDC wallet solution combining telecommunications infrastructure and blockchain technology to support participating banks in building digital currency services. The European Central Bank’s (ECB) digital euro project is also set to launch in 2026, with blockchain infrastructure being built to handle €2 trillion in annual transactions.
The real estate and asset tokenization market is also rapidly growing. The global real estate tokenization market size is expected to grow by 94.7%, from $3.8 billion in 2025 to $7.4 billion in 2026. Tysons Corner, a real estate developer in New York, launched a service offering fractional ownership to small investors by tokenizing $1.5 billion worth of commercial real estate. In this process, Microsoft’s Azure blockchain service, based in Redmond, Washington, was used as the core infrastructure, implementing automated dividend payments and governance systems through smart contracts.
In the gaming and entertainment industry, next-generation digital asset utilization models beyond NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens) are emerging. South Korea’s Nexon introduced a cross-game NFT system that allows items acquired in its game ‘MapleStory’ to be used in other games, recording a monthly transaction volume of 1.2 billion won. This is being evaluated as a new business model that overcomes the closed nature of existing game ecosystems and guarantees players’ ownership of digital assets. Epic Games in the U.S. is also providing an environment for developers to easily create NFT-based games by natively integrating blockchain functions into Unreal Engine 5.
In the healthcare sector, blockchain solutions that enhance the security and interoperability of patient data are gaining attention. The Mayo Clinic in the U.S. collaborated with IBM to build a system that stores patient medical records on a blockchain, allowing patients to directly manage data access rights. This system reduced the time for information sharing between medical staff from 72 hours to 15 minutes and decreased the incidence of medical errors by 23%. In South Korea, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, in collaboration with LG CNS, based in Seoul, introduced a blockchain-based clinical trial data management system to ensure data integrity while enabling rapid information sharing with regulatory authorities.
Technological Innovations and Changes in Competitive Dynamics
The most notable change in the blockchain technology stack in 2026 is its convergence with AI. Nvidia, based in Santa Clara, California, launched the ‘Omniverse Blockchain’ platform using its H100 GPU, providing an environment where machine learning models can be directly operated during smart contract execution. This allows DeFi (Decentralized Finance) protocols to automate real-time market data analysis and risk assessment, improving average returns by 34% compared to previous levels.
Quantum-resistant encryption technology, developed in response to advances in quantum computing, has also emerged as a key issue in blockchain security. IBM’s quantum network division, based in Armonk, New York, developed a blockchain solution applying Post-Quantum Cryptography standards, providing it to financial institutions. This technology ensures security against not only current quantum computers but also high-performance quantum computers expected to emerge within the next decade. JP Morgan Chase applied this technology to its blockchain network, securely processing $400 billion in daily inter-institutional transactions.
In the field of privacy technology, the combination of Homomorphic Encryption and Zero-Knowledge Proof is creating new innovations. This technology allows companies to perform calculations and verifications on encrypted data. Crypto AG, based in Zurich, Switzerland, applied this technology to privacy-preserving blockchain solutions, enhancing transaction pattern analysis accuracy to 89% in European banks’ anti-money laundering (AML) systems while fully protecting customer privacy.
Mobile blockchain technology is also rapidly advancing. With the spread of 5G networks, lightweight protocols have emerged that allow blockchain nodes to be operated directly on smartphones. Samsung Electronics integrated a hardware security module (HSM) and blockchain wallet function into its Galaxy S26 series, creating an environment where users can conduct cryptocurrency transactions and manage NFTs without separate apps. The monthly transaction volume using this feature surpassed $2.3 billion within six months of launch, with particularly high adoption rates in the Asian market.
Meanwhile, eco-friendly blockchain technology addressing sustainability issues is gaining attention. To solve the energy consumption problem of the traditional Proof of Work (PoW) method, various consensus algorithms such as Proof of Stake (PoS), Delegated Proof of Stake (DPoS), and Proof of Authority (PoA) have been commercialized. Following Ethereum’s transition to PoS, network energy consumption decreased by 99.95%, equivalent to reducing annual carbon emissions by 11.8 million tons. Tesla announced that from 2026, it would only purchase carbon credits issued on eco-friendly blockchain networks.
Coinbase, based in San Francisco, California, announced that its institutional client trading volume in Q1 2026 increased by 156% year-over-year, reaching $234 billion. This is interpreted as an indicator that traditional financial institutions are beginning to adopt blockchain technology in earnest. The launch of blockchain ETF products by asset management companies has significantly improved individual investors’ accessibility. BlackRock’s Bitcoin ETF (IBIT) surpassed $18 billion in assets under management within a year of launch, marking the fastest growth record in ETF history.
The future of blockchain technology is evolving beyond mere cryptocurrency to establish itself as the next-generation infrastructure of the internet. Under the Web 3.0 paradigm, users will have complete ownership of their data and digital assets, forming a new internet ecosystem that does not rely on centralized platforms. This change demands fundamental shifts in the business models of existing IT companies while simultaneously creating new opportunities. The convergence of the metaverse and blockchain is expected to accelerate in the second half of 2026, with economic activities and digital asset transactions in virtual worlds emerging as new growth drivers. With the clarification of regulatory environments, blockchain technology is now at a historical turning point, transitioning from an experimental technology to an essential digital infrastructure.
*This analysis is intended for informational purposes only and is not intended as investment solicitation or advice. All investment decisions should be made at the individual’s discretion and responsibility.*
