Image Credit: Shutterstock
Binance co-CEO Richard Teng said the current crypto market cycle differs from previous ones due to the scale of institutional, corporate and sovereign fund participation, speaking at Incrypted Conference 2026 in Kyiv on June 13. He also described Ukraine as one of the most technologically advanced markets in the Web3 space.
Teng Sees Stablecoins, Tokenized Assets, and AI Agents Driving Growth
Teng identified stablecoins, real-world asset tokenization and AI agents as the three areas he expects to grow most rapidly in the current cycle. In his view, stablecoins and RWA tokenization have moved past their formation stage and into a scaling phase.
I think we have never been through a cycle where you have institutional and corporate partaking in such a big way […] I do feel that the underpinning strengths are very, very strong, and we are building for the future, and we are still very bullish.
Teng said the stablecoin market saw a sharp surge following the passage of the GENIUS Act in the US. He also said tokenized real-world assets have exceeded $25 billion in volume. He described AI agents as a newer segment with strong use cases, saying growth across all three areas is likely to be extremely strong.
Binance Targets 3 Billion Users Through Super-App Strategy
Teng said Binance’s strategic goal is to grow its global user base to 3 billion, built around a financial super-app model combining investing, savings, payments and financial planning into a single ecosystem. He said centralized and decentralized platforms will continue to develop in parallel, though institutional players will increasingly favor regulated platforms due to anti-money laundering and compliance requirements.
He also said artificial intelligence is reshaping financial management broadly. Binance, he added, is developing its own AI tools for market and digital asset analytics as approaches to budgeting, investing, saving and trading are re-engineered using AI agents.
Teng Says Ukraine’s Web3 Market Remains “Unique”
Teng singled out Ukraine’s crypto community, calling the country a “very unique marketplace” with an entrepreneurial population and early adoption of digital technology. He pointed to the role of digital assets in supporting financial resilience during periods of uncertainty.
Teng referenced the $500,000 Web3 Resilience Lab Fund launched by Binance alongside Ukraine’s Ministry of Digital Transformation to support innovative projects in the country, saying Binance intends to continue working closely with Ukrainian partners on similar initiatives.
The comments followed earlier remarks from Binance’s regional head for Central and Eastern Europe, Central Asia and Africa, Kyrylo Khomiakov, who said during a June 8 Incrypted Online Conference session that the exchange is involved in developing Ukraine’s crypto regulation framework.
