Many people are still asking:
Will there be another surge in digital collections in 2026?
The answer I gave is very simple –
Won't.
Moreover, even if it goes up, it won’t go to you.
1. Don’t wait for the wind to blow. The wind has already changed direction.
The story of "hundreds of dollars to cast, thousands of dollars to take over" in the past few years was as exciting as a roller coaster.
The platform shouts "co-create value", users shout "rush", and the group chats "stud screenshots" every day.
What now?
The platform began to focus on compliance, cultural attributes, and preventing financialization risks.
It sounds rational, but the translation is actually:
The age of speculation is over.
Digital collections are included in the regulatory framework and are clearly classified as cultural and creative business activities with virtual property attributes, but this does not mean that they can be financialized.
Many people don't understand this sentence.
Having property attributes does not mean that it can be speculated.
Houses are property, do you dare to speculate on them? Stocks are property. Have you ever seen anyone allow unlimited rise and fall?
Supervision is not here to help you pull the strings, but to help the industry brake.
2. Technology is sexy, but the market is very realistic
Blockchain, AI, VR, AR, each vocabulary is more advanced than the last.
But most digital collections are essentially a picture.
Some even have vague copyrights and zero application scenarios, relying only on "limited edition", "numbering" and "co-branding" to support their appearance.
Technology is indeed advancing.
Blockchain moves from rights confirmation to smart contracts, AI can generate content, and VR can provide immersive experiences.
The problem is——
Technological upgrades do not equal asset appreciation.
If a picture generated by AI has no IP, no scenarios, and no equity binding, what is its value?
mood.
And emotions are the most unstable assets.
When the mood subsides, all the naked swimmers come out.
3. Platforms are dividing and retail investors are clearing out
A large number of platforms have already been retired in 2025.
The repurchase price is 10% off, 20% off, or even lower.
Some people say that the platform does not respect martial ethics.
Think about it from another angle——
If there is real liquidity in the market, does the platform need to withdraw?
What really remains are a few platforms that are compliant, have strong resources, and can bind the rights and interests of entities.
Cultural tourism digital collections, physical ticket rights, membership rights, IP co-creation rights, these are beginning to have "tool attributes".
But it's a slow road.
It’s so slow that many people can’t afford to wait.
In the past, you bought digital collections to resell them.
In the future, you will buy digital collections for use.
These two logics are worlds apart.
4. The truth in 2026: not a surge, but a clearing
The market is changing from "speculation-driven" to "value-driven."
It sounds very advanced, but it is actually very cruel.
Value driven means:
Those without IP endorsement are out.
Those without copyright protection are out.
Those without application scenarios are out.
Those without real users are out.
The rest is development.
Digital collections won’t disappear, but they will shrink.
It’s not technology that’s shrinking, it’s fantasy.
5. Three truths to those who are still present.
The first sentence: Stop fantasizing about a full-blown bull market.
A comprehensive surge requires policy releases and emotional enthusiasm, both of which are lacking now.
Second sentence: Don't buy "air limit" anymore.
Without IP, no rights and interests, and no ecological closed loop, there is a high probability that it is just a digital ornament.
The third sentence: If you still participate, treat it as cultural consumption.
Buy the IP you like and the content you agree with, don’t expect to double the price.
The real opportunity for digital collections in the future is the “combination of virtual and real”.
You can enter scenic spots, you can redeem your rights and interests, you can participate in the community, and you can operate it for a long time.
Instead of a "charge" in the group, the amount will double in three days.
The digital collection market in 2026 will not be spectacular.
It is more like an industry physical examination.
Some companies were eliminated, some collections were reduced to zero, and some people finally woke up.
But it is precisely because the bubble has been squeezed that teams with real content, IP, and operational capabilities have a chance to survive.
If you ask me a heart-wrenching sentence——
Digital collections are not impossible.
It’s just that it’s no longer for gamblers.
