Guide Overview: When Is the Next Crypto Bull Run 2026, what could set it in motion, the standout themes to track, and the answers to common questions.

With each calendar turn, market watchers reset expectations. The big question many still ask is when the next crypto bull run in 2026 will arrive.

After a formative 2025—new narratives, major regulatory moves, and Bitcoin touching an all-time high of ₹11,447,805 in October 2025—participants are weighing how the trajectory might play out through 2026.

To form a grounded view, it helps to study the pivotal drivers and storylines likely to steer the crypto market in 2026.

The odds look favorable. Several supportive elements line up for 2026, including improving access for new capital, shifting liquidity conditions, and maturing use cases that can keep risk appetite engaged.

In crypto, the “start” of a bull run is usually only obvious in hindsight; the more useful question is whether conditions are improving across liquidity, access, and on-chain activity at the same time.

Below, we break down the major tailwinds and the narratives worth following as the new cycle unfolds.

If you are preparing a portfolio for a potential 2026 run, focus on a plan you can execute under volatility. That typically means setting target allocations (for example, a core position in larger, more liquid assets plus a smaller “satellite” sleeve for higher-upside themes), defining position sizes before price accelerates, and keeping some dry powder so entries can be staggered instead of rushed.

Risk management matters more in bull markets because leverage, hype, and drawdowns tend to rise together. Practical steps include pre-setting profit-taking rules (scaling out in tranches), rebalancing back to your targets after sharp moves, avoiding overconcentration in one narrative, and deciding exit triggers in advance (time-based, price-based, or thesis-based). For timing, staged entries can reduce regret, while staged exits can help avoid “all-in, all-out” decisions near local peaks.

The main risks to plan for include sudden regulatory shifts (which can freeze specific products or exchanges), extreme market volatility (sharp corrections during uptrends), security threats (phishing, SIM swaps, wallet-draining approvals, and exchange incidents), and macro shocks (rate surprises, liquidity tightening, or geopolitical stress). Mitigation is straightforward: limit position sizes, keep long-term holdings in self-custody with strong operational security, use two-factor authentication, avoid clicking unknown links or signing blind transactions, and maintain diversification so one event does not define your entire outcome.

These building pressures could collectively set off the next broad crypto uptrend in 2026:

Institutional participation has reshaped how capital accesses crypto. Retail investors can now tap exposure through brokerage accounts via spot exchange-traded funds and managed funds. With more than 30 Bitcoin exchange-traded funds worldwide—about a dozen in the United States—the combined Bitcoin exchange-traded fund assets under management reached $141 billion in January 2026. Ethereum exchange-traded funds gained traction too, surpassing $10 billion in 2025. Additional assets such as Xrp, Solana, and Dogecoin have joined the exchange-traded fund wave, and there is buzz around Binance Coin, Polkadot, Cardano, Cosmos, and others potentially following. As this channel broadens, it could accelerate a 2026 rally.

2. Liquidity Boost and Anticipated Rate Cuts

Macro policy deeply influences crypto. The Federal Reserve ended quantitative tightening in 2025, and forecasts point to more rate cuts in 2026, which can lift risk appetite. The Fed has also indicated Treasury bill purchases to add liquidity. With US midterm elections in November 2026, policymakers will be inclined to support stable financial conditions—often tied to ample liquidity. Historically, easier central bank liquidity has coincided with Bitcoin advances up to roughly 40%. If the Fed expands liquidity as expected, that impulse could cascade into a 2026 crypto upswing.

Bitcoin’s halving has often been followed by bull phases roughly 12–18 months later. With the last halving in April 2024, the first quarter of 2026 aligns with the typical window for renewed strength. The reduced mining issuance tightens supply relative to demand, a dynamic that has fueled past advances. The opening half of 2026 could therefore capture a meaningful leg higher if momentum builds.

Clearer rules are boosting sentiment. The Genius Act, European Union MiCA guidance, and a pro-innovation tilt in the United States have helped. Recently, Dogecoin and XRP secured exchange-traded fund approvals, including the Rex-Osprey Doge exchange-traded fund and the Rex-Osprey Xrp exchange-traded fund, broadening access to in-demand assets. Several US states are moving in step: Wyoming recognized decentralized autonomous organizations and embraced crypto banking; Florida launched pilots for paying state fees in crypto; New Hampshire’s favorable tax posture has attracted local participation. In India, the Arc stablecoin—rupee-backed and designed to be fully regulated—aims to spur innovation, cut remittance costs, and coexist with the Reserve Bank of India’s digital rupee (central bank digital currency). Targeted for as early as the first quarter of 2026, Arc could lift market sentiment and participation domestically.

Stablecoins took a front seat in 2025, with market capitalization surpassing $30 billion and multiple strong entrants. They now serve core roles across DeFi, payments, reserve strategies, and cross-border trade, linking traditional finance with crypto. With Genius Act and European Union MiCA guardrails, analysts see a path toward a $1 trillion stablecoin market cap by 2026. The trend looks persistent.

After Reviewing the Catalysts: When Might the 2026 Altcoin Season Start?

Altcoins tend to outperform when Bitcoin consolidates or climbs steadily, drawing attention to higher-beta assets. Expected rate cuts can free up liquidity and tilt positioning beyond Bitcoin into newer niches.

Pinpoint timing is difficult, but the backdrop favors a move. One gauge, the Altcoin Index, compares 90-day returns of the 50 largest non-stablecoin assets against Bitcoin to assess capital rotation. Its readings typically imply:

Altcoin Season: 75–100, where at least 75% of altcoins outperform Bitcoin.

Bitcoin Season: 0–25, where fewer than 25% of altcoins outperform Bitcoin.

Additional signals that often precede an alt-heavy phase include:

Rising altcoin volumes across spot, futures, and perpetual markets.

Broad-based technical strength on weekly charts, with many alts trading above key moving averages and printing bullish divergences.

A durable decline in Bitcoin dominance alongside a growing total altcoin market cap.

Several narratives trending concurrently rather than a single theme carrying the market.

Increasing stablecoin supply signaling fresh capital entering the ecosystem.

More conservative derivatives positioning, implying surplus capital seeking value-focused alt opportunities rather than pure speculation.

Shifts in retail and social data that amplify themes like layer-2s, artificial intelligence tokens, and real-world assets, plus surging interest in “next 100x” conversations and trend metrics.

At present, the Altcoin Index sits around 17–20/100, showing Bitcoin’s clear relative strength.

Even so, with momentum building in late 2025 around real-world assets, privacy-focused assets, payments, artificial intelligence tokens, and more—combined with expected US rate cuts in 2026 that increase available capital—an altcoin phase could emerge by mid-to-late 2026. The steady climb in stablecoin supply supports this view. Always conduct independent research before making allocations.

Commodities, real estate, bonds, art, equities, and other traditional assets are migrating on-chain via real-world asset tokenization. By enabling fractional ownership, near-instant settlement, and global access, real-world assets bridge crypto with tangible markets. Platforms such as Chainlink and Ondo lead the pack, with a combined market cap above $50 billion. As of late 2025, total tokenized assets reached $30 billion, with projections indicating potential growth exceeding 400% over the next three years.

As rules tighten, privacy coins like Zcash, Monero, Dash, and Secret have drawn interest. This cohort was the top-performing crypto sector in 2025 and may continue to impress in 2026. The segment’s market cap is near $18 billion, and indicators suggest it could outpace BTC and ETH this year, showing resilience against macro headwinds.

3. Acceleration in Artificial Intelligence-Linked Tokens

Artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping industries—manufacturing, healthcare, and services—and its crypto footprint is expanding. Artificial intelligence agents now coordinate payments, manage funds, optimize DeFi strategies, and power development frameworks. Tokens such as Render, Bittensor, and Chainlink are among the leaders. From a $5.1 billion market cap in 2025, analysts foresee growth toward $55 billion by 2035. As that trajectory gains steam, 2026 could see the artificial intelligence narrative in the spotlight.

4. Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Networks

The Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Network thesis connects crypto to real-world systems—storage, compute, mapping, and more. This emerging corner aims to reduce concentration among large incumbents across infrastructure, 5G, and the Internet of Things, while giving retail investors token-based access to the upside.

Bitcoin currently trades near $95,118.36. Reaching $200,000 would imply about a 110.265% move. Many analysts see that as plausible, particularly since 2025 was relatively muted for BTC. A key tailwind is the expanding exchange-traded fund ecosystem, which has bridged traditional finance with crypto. Major managers—including Grayscale, Fidelity, and BlackRock—have launched Bitcoin products for US investors.

Forecast ranges for 2026 vary widely. More conservative outlooks cluster around a “new highs but not euphoric” zone (roughly the low-to-mid six figures), while more aggressive scenarios assume sustained inflows and risk-on liquidity that can push price toward the upper end of the range, including $200,000.

What could drive an upside surprise includes stronger-than-expected liquidity conditions, persistent spot demand through regulated products, and a broad “risk-on” shift across global markets. What could cause underperformance includes tighter-than-expected financial conditions, stalled inflows or reversals from regulated products, unexpected rule changes that limit access in key jurisdictions, or a major security/market-structure event that dents confidence.

Risks persist: political instability, the US’s invasion of Venezuela, possible global sanctions, and the ongoing Ukraine–Russia war could inject volatility. Conduct due diligence before investing.

There is a reasonable case for gradual accumulation. Attention is shifting to alt segments such as real-world assets, payments, privacy coins, and DeFi. Institutional participation has increased, and regulated access channels have expanded. Large asset managers—Fidelity, Grayscale Investments, and Pantera Capital—have active vehicles across Ethereum, Xrp, Dogecoin, Solana, Tether, and others, helping funnel capital into these niches.

3. Which Sector Will Lead the 2026 Altcoin Season?

Several areas could set the pace: DeFi, real-world asset tokenization, decentralized physical infrastructure networks, stablecoins, artificial intelligence-driven projects, and payments. The “why” is simple: these themes can attract sustained capital when they show usage (fees, settlement volume, active users, locked value) instead of relying purely on reflexive hype.

Sectors that lead late-cycle tend to be the ones that can show real demand under stress—users who keep paying fees, using rails, and holding balances even when volatility spikes.

Examples of leaders often cited within each bucket include: in DeFi, established venues such as Aave and Uniswap; in real-world assets, infrastructure and issuance layers like Chainlink and Ondo; in decentralized physical infrastructure networks, projects that tie tokens to verifiable services such as Helium and Filecoin; in artificial intelligence-crypto, higher-liquidity names like Render and Bittensor; and in payments, networks and rails that aim for real settlement throughput such as Xrp and Stellar. In stablecoins, the obvious center of gravity remains the largest dollar-pegged coins and decentralized alternatives like DAI.

Each sector also has headwinds to watch in 2026. DeFi faces contract risk and periodic liquidity crunches; real-world assets can run into regulatory friction, issuer risk, and slower adoption cycles; decentralized physical infrastructure networks must prove unit economics and real demand beyond incentives; artificial intelligence tokens can swing hard on narrative momentum and competition; payments can be constrained by compliance hurdles and uneven real-world usage; and stablecoins remain sensitive to policy shifts, issuer transparency, and banking-rail dependencies.

The setup is constructive: clearer regulations, macro tailwinds from potential Fed liquidity easing, and solid institutional flows. Narratives like real-world assets, artificial intelligence tokens, and privacy assets display steady traction.

Even with favorable indicators, crypto remains volatile. Always research thoroughly before allocating capital.

Predicting individual winners requires caution due to high volatility. Still, segments that strengthened late in 2025 may sustain momentum into early 2026—real-world assets, privacy and payments, artificial intelligence, and layer-2 scaling solutions among them. Tokens to watch include:

<table><thead><tr><th>Token/Sector</th><th>Key Catalysts/Upgrades</th><th>Potential Risks</th></tr></thead><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody><tr><td>Solana</td><td>Alpenglow upgrades; continued demand via regulated access products.</td><td>Network reliability concerns returning during peak activity; fast-rotation liquidity that can exit quickly.</td></tr><tr><td>Ethereum</td><td>Roadmap progress with upgrades such as Glamsterdam and Hegota.</td><td>Upgrade delays; fee and execution-layer competition; weaker-than-expected on-chain activity.</td></tr><tr><td>Xrp</td><td>New spot exchange-traded fund launches increasing accessibility.</td><td>Regulatory and listing sensitivity; adoption expectations that may take longer to materialize.</td></tr><tr><td>Dogecoin</td><td>Spot exchange-traded fund launches expanding exposure.</td><td>High dependence on sentiment; sharp drawdowns if risk appetite fades.</td></tr><tr><td>Bnb</td><td>Maxwell upgrade; ecosystem expansion across GameFi and DeFi.</td><td>Concentration and platform risk; policy headlines that can reprice the ecosystem quickly.</td></tr><tr><td>Trx</td><td>Southeast Asia expansion via Aeon partnerships; ongoing compatibility efforts.</td><td>Regional demand concentration; competitive pressure from other payment and settlement networks.</td></tr><tr><td>Ethereum Layer-2s (Arbitrum, Optimism, Polygon, Base)</td><td>Benefit potential as Ethereum’s Pectra and Fusaka upgrades are realized.</td><td>Token unlock and incentives overhang; fragmentation and user churn across competing layer-2s.</td></tr></tbody></table>

6. What Is the Best Crypto Exchange to Use Before the 2026 Rally?

Flitpay is a leading, free-to-use Indian platform for investing in crypto. It adheres to Fiu requirements, offers zero-fee KYC, and provides two-factor authentication—delivering a secure, transparent, and intuitive experience for trading and storage.

The platform lists 300+ cryptocurrencies across payments, DeFi, real-world asset tokenization, gaming, NFTs, privacy coins, and more. With low trading fees, instant Indian-rupee deposits and withdrawals from any Indian bank account, crypto cashbacks, interest-earning options, and zero deposit and withdrawal fees, Flitpay helps investors build a safe, compliant, and diversified portfolio.

Crypto

When Is The Next Crypto Bull Run 2026?

Choosing a better crypto exchange starts with a direct comparison. This Poloniex vs Kraken overview sets two established cryptocurrency platforms against each other using first-hand research, and I will expand the matchup series in future notes. Read on to see which factors often lead traders to pick one for their transactions.

With so many people buying and selling cryptocurrencies, the aim here is to explain why one exchange can feel like a better fit than another, before offering a brief background on both brands.

Poloniex launched in January 2014 under Tristan D’Agosta in the United States, was acquired by Circle in 2018, and in 2019 Polo Digital Assets aligned with Tron’s founder Justin Sun. Due to tighter United States rules around digital asset trading, Polo Digital Assets registered in Seychelles, a jurisdiction friendlier to crypto. If you have heard talk of Poloniex “shutting down,” that is usually tied to market-by-market access changes, product retirements, or account restrictions rather than a single, platform-wide closure announcement. In practice, Poloniex has generally not positioned itself as a full-service exchange for United States residents, and access for United States users may be limited to withdrawals depending on the account and region.

Poloniex Vs. Kraken: Side-by-side Look at Two Crypto Exchanges

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Kraken, founded in July 2011 by Jesse Powell and based in the United States, is often seen as a security-first exchange with a conservative, compliance-heavy approach. From what I have come across, I am not aware of a major, exchange-wide breach where Kraken’s core platform was publicly reported as being drained of customer funds; the bigger risks tend to come from user-side issues like weak passwords, phishing, and poor account security settings.

<table><thead><tr><th>Exchange</th><th>CoinMarketCap Rank</th><th>24h Volume</th><th>Web Traffic Factor</th><th>Average Liquidity</th><th>Number of Listed Coins</th></tr></thead><tbody></tbody><tbody><tr><td>Poloniex</td><td>16th</td><td>$48,880,270</td><td>825</td><td>268</td><td>281</td></tr><tr><td>Kraken</td><td>4th</td><td>$430,163,010</td><td>877</td><td>448</td><td>185</td></tr></tbody></table>

On paper, Poloniex shows a broader set of verified listings, while Kraken ranks higher with stronger liquidity signals. On security and trust, both exchanges rely on basic protections like password hygiene and two-factor authentication, but Kraken’s overall posture feels more “locked down,” while Poloniex has a more mixed reputation and is best approached with the mindset of managing your own risk and custody.

When comparing exchanges, strong account security and predictable withdrawal controls matter more than tiny fee differences, because custody risk can wipe out trading gains in a single incident.

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Poloniex sign-up is quick for a Level 1 account. You provide an email, choose a password, and confirm via email—no long forms.

Kraken registration asks for an email plus a username and a password up to 12 characters before the account is set up.

For beginners, Poloniex is the less demanding starting point because you can get an account opened and explore the platform faster, while Kraken’s process fits a more compliance-forward style of onboarding.

On desktop, Poloniex presents a straightforward layout that a beginner can navigate easily; accessing the wallet worked smoothly on first use.

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Kraken’s landing page makes a strong first impression, but reaching the wallet view was confusing; I repeatedly saw dense trade history panels with red highlights and mixed details.

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Poloniex enables deposits and withdrawals immediately after creating an account. Withdrawals are capped at $50,000, deposits are unlimited, and you can start spot trading right away. In my experience, Poloniex is primarily geared toward crypto transfers and crypto-to-crypto trading, and direct fiat deposits or withdrawals are limited (and may not be available depending on your region).

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Kraken requires additional personal data such as a residential address before you can deposit, withdraw, or trade. Starter accounts are limited to $5,000 in daily withdrawals, so activity is constrained until more information is provided.

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The trading screen on Poloniex is simple to grasp, allowing newcomers to place orders with little or no guidance.

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Kraken’s trading interface is geared toward experienced users and can be challenging for first-time traders to interpret.

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Poloniex does not charge fees when you deposit supported cryptocurrencies into your account.

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Kraken applies a deposit fee to certain assets, so it’s worth checking the specific coin before you send funds.

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<table><thead><tr><th>Exchange</th><th>Maker Fee</th><th>Taker Fee</th><th>Fee Reductions</th><th>Notes</th></tr></thead><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody><tr><td>Poloniex</td><td>0.125% (top tier)</td><td>0.125% (top tier)</td><td>Down to 0.0000% maker and 0.0400% taker with Poloniex Plus Gold; extra discounts when paying fees in Tron tokens</td><td>Maker and taker terms are standard across trading pairs</td></tr><tr><td>Kraken</td><td>0.16% (starting)</td><td>0.26% (starting)</td><td>Potential reductions down to 0.00% maker and 0.10% taker as volume increases</td><td>Pricing improves with higher trading volume</td></tr><tr><td>Exchange</td><td>Ease of Use</td><td>Fees</td><td>Supported Cryptocurrencies</td><td>Security and Trust Posture</td></tr><tr><td>Poloniex</td><td>Simpler screens and faster onboarding for basic accounts</td><td>Generally lower spot fees in this comparison</td><td>More verified listings in the CoinMarketCap snapshot shown above</td><td>Functional platform, but with a more mixed track record; best used with disciplined risk management and self-custody habits</td></tr><tr><td>Kraken</td><td>More complex interface and heavier verification flow</td><td>Higher starting fees, with reductions for volume</td><td>Fewer verified listings in the CoinMarketCap snapshot shown above</td><td>Widely viewed as security-first and compliance-heavy; still depends on good user-side security settings</td></tr></tbody></table>

I approached both platforms carefully and, for my needs, Poloniex comes out ahead. The direct reasons are ease of use and the fee feel: Poloniex is simpler to navigate and generally cheaper on spot trading in the examples above. Kraken’s drawbacks, from my experience here, are the busier interface, the extra identity verification steps before you can fully use the platform, and the fact that some coins come with deposit fees. That said, if your top priority is a security-first, compliance-heavy exchange experience, Kraken is the one that tends to match that preference, while Poloniex is the one I would point beginners toward because it is quicker to start and easier to understand.

Danish firm Quadsat is converting intricate electromagnetic radio-frequency signals into decisive mission insights through a practical, scalable integration with Tekever drones.

Flight Tests Validate Aerial System Payload

Tekever, a developer of artificial intelligence-driven autonomous systems, and Quadsat, a specialist in radio-frequency sensing and emitter geolocation across the spectrum, completed successful flight-integration trials of the SpectraLoc payload on Tekever’s AR3 Evo unmanned aircraft system.

<table><thead><tr><th>Partner</th><th>Expertise</th><th>Project/Integration</th><th>Platform</th></tr></thead><tbody></tbody><tbody><tr><td>Tekever</td><td>Autonomous unmanned aircraft systems and mission systems</td><td>SpectraLoc flight-integration trials with Quadsat</td><td>AR3 Evo</td></tr><tr><td>Quadsat</td><td>Radio-frequency sensing and emitter geolocation</td><td>SpectraLoc payload integration with Tekever</td><td>AR3 Evo</td></tr></tbody></table>

Beyond SpectraLoc, Tekever’s aircraft are designed around swappable payload bays and standardized electrical and data interfaces that support a range of sensor fits, including day-and-night imaging gimbals, mapping cameras, communications relay modules, and spectrum-monitoring packages, alongside mission computers and datalinks that can be configured per operator requirements.

Tekever positions its systems for missions such as maritime surveillance, border security, search and rescue, environmental monitoring, and military reconnaissance. Its unmanned aircraft system portfolio is commonly described as a family of product lines—such as the AR3 for lighter, expeditionary operations, the AR4 for longer-endurance coverage, and the larger AR5 class for higher payload capacity and extended range—backed by production and assembly activity in Portugal and the United Kingdom.

To advance its roadmap, Tekever works with a wider network of partners beyond Quadsat, including satellite-communications providers for beyond-line-of-sight links, analytics and mission-software partners for automated exploitation, and government and defense end users to validate operational requirements. In parallel, Tekever and space-technology partners have been developing synthetic aperture radar satellite capabilities and ground-segment tooling intended to deliver all-weather imagery into the same operational workflows used for airborne collection. In that context, StormShroud is used as a label for efforts to strengthen European uncrewed-system resilience by combining aircraft, sensors, and supporting infrastructure into deployable capability packages; Tekever systems have also been used in Ukraine for persistent surveillance and area monitoring, with near-real-time video and sensor outputs supporting time-sensitive decision-making.

Tekever Delivers Modular Interoperability

The result marks a key milestone, confirming that Quadsat’s payload can be integrated through Tekever’s modular platform approach, which centers on common mounting standards, shared power-and-data connectors, and software interfaces that allow sensor control and data routing to be updated without redesigning the airframe. Tekever describes continuous innovation as an iterative cycle of research and development, flight-test validation, and recurring software and subsystem upgrades that can be rolled into fielded fleets; it also delivers intelligence as a service through managed operations, cloud-based processing, and an API layer that can feed detections and tracks into customer command-and-control tools.

Modular payload interfaces and standardized data formats are what turn a drone platform into a reusable capability rather than a single-purpose aircraft.

This integration demonstrates our focus on mission-ready systems with clear interface standards for sensor carriage and data handling, said Karl Brew of Tekever United Kingdom.

Frictionless cooperation between platforms

Articles

Ar3 Evo Drone Integration: Turning Radio-frequency Data Into Actionable Intelligence

To advance Denmark’s planned third crossing of the Limfjord, Fugro has launched a coastal site investigation on behalf of COWI, adviser to the Danish Road Directorate.

Project Overview: Connection West of Aalborg

This flagship transport scheme will expand capacity and improve connectivity west of Aalborg, combining a four‑lane motorway with a tunnel, a low bridge, and related land reclamation works. In this announcement, the route is described at corridor level only (west of Aalborg and around Egholm Island); specific start and end points, as well as a route map or coordinates, are not provided.

<table><thead><tr><th>Component</th><th>Description</th></tr></thead><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody><tr><td>Four-lane motorway</td><td>New motorway section intended to increase capacity and improve connectivity west of Aalborg.</td></tr><tr><td>Tunnel</td><td>Part of the crossing concept; tunnel length and type are not specified in this announcement.</td></tr><tr><td>Low bridge</td><td>Part of the crossing concept; bridge length and type are not specified in this announcement.</td></tr><tr><td>Land reclamation works</td><td>Related works associated with the crossing concept; specific locations, extents, and methods are not detailed in this announcement.</td></tr></tbody></table>

Project facts such as the overall project length, estimated cost, key milestones, and an expected completion date are not stated in this announcement.

The planned project start date, planned project end date, and the estimated construction duration are not stated in this announcement.

The current status of tenders, key dates for tender submissions, and the types of contracts being tendered are not described in this announcement. The procurement process details—such as procurement stages, prequalification requirements, and evaluation criteria—are also not outlined here.

Environmental information, including the environmental impact assessment status, mitigation measures, and key environmental concerns, is not covered in this announcement. Planned future upgrades for the existing Limfjord tunnel, as well as any future expansion or upgrade plans for the third connection, are not described here.

Organizations referenced in this announcement include Fugro (site investigation contractor), COWI (adviser to the Danish Road Directorate and project study lead), and the Danish Road Directorate (project authority).

Investigation Approach: Amphibious Operations in Shallow Water

Continuing into summer, the campaign focuses on geotechnical work in ultra‑shallow zones around Egholm Island, where depths are under 1.5 meters. To obtain high‑fidelity data in places unreachable for conventional survey boats or land rigs, Fugro has brought its one‑of‑a‑kind amphibious buggy to Europe for its first deployment. Key features include:

Capability to lock in position for testing.

High-quality geotechnical investigations reduce uncertainty, support safer designs, and help planners make informed decisions about buildability and construction risk.

The method reduces disturbance within the fjord and shrinks the overall footprint of the works. Its use in very shallow water cuts downtime and supports an efficient sequence of boreholes, cone penetration tests, and sampling activities.

COWI Senior Project Manager Elena Peri, who leads this study, said: “We are pleased to deliver this program with Fugro. Using the amphibious buggy, we can collect the evidence needed to fully characterize conditions in the Limfjord. In the months ahead, COWI and Fugro will work closely to produce high‑quality outcomes and ensure an efficient site characterization for this strategic infrastructure project in Northern Jutland.”

Third Limfjord Connection: Fugro’s Amphibious Buggy Backs Cowi’s Nearshore Study

Italy’s Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security has assigned the project to a team headed by e-GEOS of the Leonardo Group, working alongside MapSat, Planetek Italia, and the University of Cassino.

<table><thead><tr><th>Consortium Member</th><th>Role/Contribution</th><th>Affiliation</th></tr></thead><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody><tr><td>e-GEOS</td><td>Consortium lead; conducts a nationwide satellite survey of asbestos cement for the ministry’s Directorate-General for Circular Economy and Remediation.</td><td>Leonardo Group; joint venture between the Italian Space Agency (20%) and Telespazio (80%).</td></tr><tr><td>MapSat</td><td>Consortium partner.</td><td>MapSat.</td></tr><tr><td>Planetek Italia</td><td>Consortium partner.</td><td>Planetek Italia.</td></tr><tr><td>University of Cassino</td><td>Consortium partner.</td><td>University of Cassino.</td></tr></tbody></table>

Asbestos Cement Inventory: High-Resolution Analysis

The program will update the register of asbestos-cement rooftops on public and private properties throughout Italy through an ongoing, phased workflow that is refined as new imagery is acquired and verification results are incorporated.

Remote sensing data. The workflow can combine spectral signature analysis and material-focused indices with object-based image analysis (segmenting roofs into meaningful objects rather than classifying pixel by pixel). Ancillary layers such as building footprints and land-use masks can be used to focus the search on roof surfaces and reduce confusion from roads, bare soil, and other non-roof targets.

Multispectral satellite imagery (very high resolution). Very-high-resolution commercial scenes are used where individual rooftops must be separated and characterized; common inputs include sub-meter panchromatic imagery paired with meter-class multispectral data. When available, shortwave-infrared coverage is particularly useful for separating roofing materials with similar visible-color appearance, while visible and near-infrared bands support material discrimination and shadow handling.

Artificial intelligence-driven classification. Models such as Random Forest and Support Vector Machines are often used for tabular spectral-and-texture features, while convolutional neural networks can be applied to image chips or segmented roof objects for pattern recognition. Performance is typically reported with confusion-matrix metrics (overall accuracy plus class-level precision and recall), and validation relies on independent reference samples (for example, municipal records, targeted inspections, and photo interpretation), with error tracked as false positives and false negatives.

Study areas used to calibrate and check satellite mapping are typically selected to represent different building styles and roofing stocks, including dense urban cores, industrial zones, and smaller municipalities. In Italy, representative verification areas commonly include provinces and metropolitan areas such as Milan and Brescia (Lombardy), Bologna (Emilia-Romagna), Padua (Veneto), Rome and Frosinone/Cassino (Lazio), Naples (Campania), and Palermo (Sicily), alongside smaller towns where roof types and weathering patterns differ.

Topography can materially affect detection. In hilly and mountainous terrain, slope and aspect change illumination and viewing geometry, increasing shadowing and altering apparent reflectance; this can reduce separability between asbestos-cement roofs and visually similar materials. Elevation-driven differences in haze, seasonal snow, and vegetation phenology can further complicate classification, so accuracy is often higher in flat, uniformly lit urban areas than in steep valleys and ridge-settlements unless terrain-aware correction and careful sampling are applied.

Costs vary significantly by technology and by the level of verification required. Satellite-based approaches generally have lower marginal cost for broad, repeated national coverage, but their total cost depends on the spatial resolution purchased, cloud-free tasking windows, and the amount of processing and quality control needed. Aerial surveys can deliver finer detail and more flexible acquisition timing over limited areas, but typically carry higher acquisition costs per square kilometer. Ground-based mapping provides the most direct confirmation, yet is labor-intensive and is usually reserved for targeted follow-up, prioritization, and enforcement where remote sensing indicates elevated likelihood or uncertainty.

The public-health relevance is direct: asbestos-cement products can release hazardous fibers as they weather, break, or are disturbed during maintenance and demolition, and inhalation exposure is associated with serious diseases such as asbestosis, lung cancer, and mesothelioma. Mapping supports prevention by helping authorities prioritize inspections, communicate risk, plan remediation, and track progress over time—especially where building density makes manual inventorying impractical.

Key limitations of satellite detection include spectral confusion with non-asbestos roofing (for example, certain fiber-cement, concrete, or weathered surfaces), mixed pixels on small or complex roofs, and occlusion from trees, rooftop equipment, and deep shadows. Cloud cover and seasonal lighting differences can reduce usable acquisitions, and roof aging or coatings can shift the material signature, increasing both missed detections and false alarms; for this reason, satellite results are typically treated as a decision-support layer that benefits from targeted on-the-ground confirmation.

Accurate asbestos-cement maps turn a widespread hazard into a prioritized, trackable remediation workload, helping public agencies focus inspections and interventions where they reduce exposure risk the most.

“Geoinformation proves its worth when it protects communities and directly supports public institutions, ultimately improving citizens’ health,” said C. Milena A. Lerario, chief executive officer of e-GEOS. “Being part of Leonardo enables us to combine deep expertise, advanced technologies, and system integration with very high-resolution satellite imagery and artificial intelligence-powered analytics. This capability delivers a broader and more detailed picture of the territory, helping address complex issues and underpinning evidence-based policies with timely, accurate data to safeguard the environment and enhance quality of life.”

Mapping Asbestos-cement Roofs Using Remote Sensing

Highly accurate positioning packaged in a small, industrial-grade housing is now within reach for a wide range of automation and navigation use cases.

It also suits surveying workflows, precision agriculture, UAV operations, and marine navigation where reliable positioning and heading are required.

GNSS Technology for Compact Industrial Positioning

Septentrio, a Hexagon company, has introduced AsteRx EB, a housed, multi-frequency unit that delivers uncompromised precision and dependable heading for use cases such as:

The IP67-rated enclosure protects the electronics against weather, dust, and spray, while advanced GNSS+ technologies sustain performance where satellite signals are stressed by tree canopy, reflective surfaces, interference, and multipath. GNSS+ is Septentrio’s umbrella for receiver-level resilience and quality features, including AIM+ for anti-jamming (detecting and mitigating interference so tracking can continue), multipath mitigation (reducing errors from reflected signals), interference monitoring (observing and reporting RF conditions to support diagnostics and hardening), and pulse blanking (suppressing brief, high-energy interference bursts at the front end so they do not corrupt tracking). RAIM+ integrity monitoring validates the positioning solution by checking measurement consistency across satellites and flagging solutions that do not meet integrity expectations, which is vital for autonomous navigation.

AIM+ (Advanced Interference Mitigation) is the receiver’s anti-jamming system designed to maintain positioning availability when intentional or unintentional RF interference is present. In practical terms, it works by continuously sensing interference characteristics and applying mitigation strategies (such as adaptive filtering and, where appropriate, pulse blanking) to protect satellite signal tracking. The benefit is more stable positioning and heading in electrically noisy industrial environments, fewer dropouts, and better continuity for automation systems that depend on consistent GNSS.

For integration, Septentrio receivers commonly support interfaces such as Ethernet, USB, serial ports (for example RS-232/RS-422), and CAN, with wireless options such as Bluetooth or Wi-Fi available on select setups or via external gateways. They also typically provide standard GNSS data and correction streams (for example NMEA and RTCM) as well as timing and event features such as PPS and event marker inputs, depending on configuration.

Position accuracy depends on the correction method and operating conditions; typical performance ranges from meter-level standalone GNSS, to decimeter or sub-meter positioning with SBAS, to centimeter-level RTK (often on the order of 1–2 cm horizontal and 2–3 cm vertical in good conditions). For high-precision automation, RTK corrections are commonly used to achieve repeatable lane-level and docking-grade results.

To receive RTK corrections via NTRIP (Networked Transport of RTCM via Internet Protocol), connect the receiver to an IP network (for example through Ethernet or a Wi-Fi/cellular router), then configure the NTRIP client settings in the receiver’s configuration interface: enter the caster address and port, select the mountpoint, and provide credentials if required. Choose the appropriate RTCM stream, start the NTRIP session, and verify the receiver reports that corrections are being received and that the solution mode transitions to an RTK-fixed or equivalent high-precision state.

Firmware upgrades are typically done by first obtaining the correct firmware package for the exact receiver model from Septentrio’s official product/support download area, then backing up the current configuration, and ensuring stable power for the entire update. Upload and apply the firmware using the receiver’s management interface or configuration tooling, allow the receiver to reboot, and finally confirm the new firmware version and restore or validate settings before returning the unit to service.

Product datasheets are available from Septentrio’s official product pages and download/support sections: navigate to the specific receiver model page (for example AsteRx EB) and download the datasheet PDF from the documents or downloads area.

To access the command line interface (cli), connect using a supported management channel such as a direct serial connection (using a terminal application with the configured port settings) or a network session such as SSH or Telnet when enabled on the device. After establishing the session and authenticating if required, you can issue configuration and status commands for monitoring, logging, and system setup.

In industrial automation, resilient receiver technologies that detect, mitigate, and report interference can be as important as raw accuracy, because uptime and integrity drive safety and throughput.

Receiver Perspective: Scale With Confidence

AsteRx EB is the right boxed receiver for teams that need reliable, robust, and highly precise positioning in a small package at a cost that makes quick scaling feasible, said Danilo Sabbatini, Product Manager at Septentrio, a Hexagon company.

Septentrio Asterx EB Gnss Receiver: Compact Precision For Automation

Kongsberg Discovery has signed a new framework supplier agreement with Fugro, reinforcing their long-running technology relationship around hydroacoustic and positioning solutions for modern survey operations and autonomous platforms.

Agreement Overview: Supplier Role and Scope

Announced at London’s Oceanology International expo, the deal designates Kongsberg Discovery as a key supplier of advanced hydroacoustic systems and positioning technologies for Fugro’s global fleet, including its expanding lineup of uncrewed surface vehicles. The announcement does not specify the exact signing date, and the duration or renewal terms were not disclosed. While Kongsberg Discovery is identified as a key supplier for the covered systems, the agreement does not state that it is the only supplier for all onboard survey equipment. Naval Group is not referenced in the announcement, and no direct or indirect impact is indicated.

Fugro’s Global Work: Offshore and Onshore Focus

Fugro, widely regarded as a leading Geo-data specialist, provides insights for clients across multiple sectors and environments worldwide.

Energy production and transition support.

Technology Integration: Autonomous Platforms and Data Quality

The arrangement confirms Kongsberg Discovery as Fugro’s preferred technology partner, with a set of hydroacoustic and positioning solutions selected for deployment across a new generation of autonomous survey systems. Working in concert, these assets are intended to deliver high-quality hydrospatial datasets and help enable efficient, safe operations.

<table><thead><tr><th>Technology/Product</th><th>Function</th><th>Deployment Platform</th></tr></thead><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody><tr><td>EM2042 multibeam echosounder</td><td>Multibeam hydroacoustic surveying</td><td>Autonomous survey systems</td></tr><tr><td>Seapath motion system</td><td>Motion sensing for survey stability</td><td>Autonomous survey systems</td></tr><tr><td>Satellite positioning system</td><td>Positioning for survey operations</td><td>Autonomous survey systems</td></tr></tbody></table>

Long-term technology partnerships help standardize capability across fleets, accelerating the rollout of autonomous surveying while keeping data quality consistent at scale.

Kongsberg Discovery And Fugro Strengthen Partnership: New Framework Supplier Agreement

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