Something unusual is happening again. A century-old chart from a farmer named Samuel Benner has resurfaced across crypto circles. His “Benner Cycle” called past market tops with eerie accuracy, and it points to 2026 as the next “year of good times.”
That is not superstition anymore. Data from 2025 is already showing early signs of heat. Crypto fundraising has rebounded, stablecoin supply is at record highs, and exchanges are quietly rebuilding the launch infrastructure that made 2021’s bull run possible.
To anyone reading the latest presale trend report, the conclusion feels hard to ignore. This market is gearing up for its next big chapter.
The Benner Cycle: A Chart Hinting at 2026’s Boom
Samuel Benner was not a Wall Street legend. He was a farmer who noticed patterns in commodity prices back in the 1800s. His hand-drawn chart mapped recurring “good times,” “panics,” and “hard times.”
Oddly enough, those same intervals have echoed through modern markets. The years 1999, 2007, and 2014, all major peaks, fit right into Benner’s rhythm. Now the next predicted peak is 2026.
While no one takes it as gospel, the timing feels uncanny. Bitcoin halving, liquidity expansion, and rising on-chain activity are aligning just as Benner’s cycle says “prepare to sell high.” Whether coincidence or cosmic rhythm, market psychology seems to keep repeating itself.
The 2025 Comeback: Why Risk Is Back on the Table
After a brutal winter, 2025 turned into crypto’s recovery year. Total market capitalization hit roughly $4 trillion, up 16% quarter-over-quarter. Daily spot volume surged 44% to around $155 billion, and DeFi once again outperformed every other category.
Stablecoins reached an all-time high of $288 billion in circulating supply. That is not a random number. It is liquidity waiting to move. Analysts see this as a direct precursor to increased presale participation, because more stablecoins often mean more sidelined cash ready to deploy.
Global adoption widened too. India, the United States, and Southeast Asia led growth in active users, setting up an even larger retail base for new token launches in 2026.
Smart Money Is Quietly Loading Up Again
The capital that fled in 2022 and 2023 is flowing back. According to Messari, crypto fundraising reached $8.21 billion in Q3 2025, up nearly 50% from the prior quarter, the highest since early 2023.
Mergers, acquisitions, and early-stage venture rounds are also picking up. RootData and Lucidity Insights both reported sharp rebounds in deal value through the first half of 2025. That combination of bigger rounds and more exits signals one thing: investors see a safer environment to bet on innovation again.
It is the same pattern that appeared before the 2020 to 2021 cycle, a quiet accumulation phase right before a presale rush.
The Big Shift: Presales Are Becoming “Productized”
Here is where the story changes. Presales are no longer confined to obscure websites and Telegram groups. Major exchanges are stepping in.
Coinbase made headlines in October 2025 by acquiring Echo, the on-chain investment platform founded by Cobie, in a $375 million deal. The update brings token sales into Coinbase, letting everyday users join verified presales safely. Binance continues to grow Launchpad and Launchpool. Other exchanges are testing staking-based entry models. Platforms like IPO Genie focus on compliance, giving users tokenized access to early-stage projects under clear regulations.
The result is a new era of launch infrastructure: secure, audited, and accessible to both retail and institutional investors.
Regulators Are Finally Playing Catch-Up (and That’s a Good Thing)
For years, regulation has been the bottleneck. Now, it is becoming the enabler.
In late 2025, both U.S. and European regulators advanced token-sale rulemaking. The SEC’s new policy proposals and the EU’s finalized crypto-asset frameworks are giving exchanges the confidence to open their doors to compliant offerings.
Legal analysts from Latham & Watkins noted that 2026 could mark the first major presale cycle conducted “within the system” rather than around it. That clarity reduces headline risk and invites traditional funds to participate openly instead of through private channels.
When compliance and innovation finally align, liquidity follows fast.
The Hotspots: Where 2026 Presales Will Likely Happen
Not all chains are equal when it comes to presale momentum. Analysts expect activity to cluster around a few ecosystems.
Solana continues to lead in speed, fees, and user growth. With millions of active daily wallets and strong DeFi TVL, it is a magnet for high-velocity token launches.
Base, Coinbase’s Ethereum Layer-2, exploded in 2025 with record user adoption. Its built-in retail access and compliance framework make it a natural venue for next-generation presales.
Meanwhile, Ethereum mainnet and broader L2s remain the liquidity core. ETH’s new all-time highs in Q3 2025 pulled in both developers and investors.
Some experts also highlight BNB Chain, still dominant across Asia, as a steady platform for regional token distribution. Cross-chain tools are emerging too, meaning 2026’s presales could be more interconnected than ever.
What Kind of Projects Will Steal the Show?
Every cycle has its stars. This time, analysts expect three narratives to lead the presale trend report into 2026.
AI x Crypto: The surge in artificial intelligence funding throughout 2025 is crossing over into blockchain. Think on-chain AI agents, trading bots, and AI-powered data tools.
RWA Tokens: Real-world asset tokenization is gaining serious traction. Investors want yield, and tokenized treasuries, real estate, and commodities are delivering it.
Perp DEXs and Infrastructure: Perpetual trading platforms hit record volumes in 2025. Founders are racing to build better liquidity engines and derivatives layers.
Platforms like IPO Genie ($IPO), SpacePay, and other rising launchpads are already showcasing how these themes can merge with real-world utility. Together, these sectors combine hype and substance, the perfect cocktail for presale growth.
The Red Flags: Because Not Every Boom Is Equal
Even in good times, not every project deserves your wallet. Analysts point to three recurring issues that wreck new tokens after launch.
First, over-valued presales with inflated fully diluted valuations. When the price runs ahead of fundamentals, early buyers get trapped.
Second, aggressive unlock schedules. If tokens flood the market too soon, prices collapse no matter how strong the narrative.
Third, regulatory whiplash. Rules are improving but still evolving. One court case can freeze a project’s liquidity overnight.
It is a reminder that due diligence is not optional. It is survival.
Doing It Right: A Quick Presale Checklist for 2026
Before jumping into any project, analysts recommend a five-step checklist drawn from the latest presale trend report insights.
- Tokenomics: Check the FDV, float, and unlock schedule.
- Platform quality: Is it listed on a trusted exchange or verified launchpad?
- Compliance: Review jurisdiction, documentation, and investor eligibility.
- On-chain traction: Look at TVL, active addresses, and stablecoin inflows.
- Security: Confirm audit reports or bug-bounty programs.
Projects like SpacePay, IPO Genie, and other vetted launchpads show how transparency is becoming the new competitive edge.
The Big Picture: What 2026 Could Actually Look Like
No one can time the market perfectly, but the setup feels familiar. Analysts outline three likely scenarios for the year ahead.
Base Case: Liquidity continues growing, regulations stabilize, and exchanges host steady, high-quality presales.
Bull Case: ETF inflows and clear global rules spark a mania rivaling 2021, turning several launches into the trending crypto of 2025 extended into 2026.
Bear Case: Macro headwinds or regulatory missteps delay the boom, leaving only top-tier projects to thrive.
Still, even the cautious outlook admits one truth. The groundwork for the next major presale cycle is already in place. If the past century of market cycles teaches anything, it is that history does not repeat, it rhymes. And right now, the rhythm sounds a lot like opportunity.