The internet&nbsp;economy&nbsp;just crossed a new threshold that few saw coming this fast. The global digital&nbsp;economy&nbsp;is now valued at over $20 trillion, and depending on whose model you trust, that number could hit $28 trillion before the year is out. IDCA research puts the digital&nbsp;economy&nbsp;at roughly 17.3 per cent of world GDP, translating&nbsp;to&nbsp;just over $20 trillion of the world's $119 trillion nominal output.&nbsp;But the Saudi-led digital cooperation organisation's latest forecast is more aggressive. The organisation projects the digital&nbsp;economy&nbsp;will reach $28 trillion in 2026, or 22 per cent of global GDP, growing three times faster than the overall global&nbsp;economy.&nbsp;Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/neil-armstrong-and-buzz-aldrin-almost-died-on-the-moon-the-plastic-pen-that-saved-them-just-sold-for-857-600-1784175823499">Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin almost died on the Moon. The plastic pen that saved them just sold for $857,600</a><h3>Both figures tell the same story</h3>Digital is no longer just a sector; it's the&nbsp;economy's core operating layer. The United States is the clearest signal of this&nbsp;shift. Business applications are up over 17 per cent year-on-year in 2026. Last year saw 5.62 million applications filed, up 8.2 per cent&nbsp;from&nbsp;2024.&nbsp;That's not stimulus-driven noise. That's a structural, low-barrier, and AI-assisted entrepreneurship boom where anyone with a laptop can launch a shopfront, a content business, or a service brand overnight.&nbsp;The political undercurrent matters&nbsp;too. Cybersecurity has emerged as the single most consequential trend for 2026, as AI-driven risks and quantum-era threats reshape how governments and firms defend digital infrastructure.&nbsp;Whoever controls compute, data flows, and digital trust rules will control the next phase of global economic power. The takeaway: this isn't incremental growth but a redistribution of where value gets created, away&nbsp;from&nbsp;physical capital and&nbsp;towards platforms, code, and individual creators. Over 200 million people now build livelihoods online. The brick-and-mortar&nbsp;economy&nbsp;isn't dying, but it's being absorbed by AI.

Cybersecurity has emerged as the single most consequential trend for 2026, as AI-driven risks and quantum-era threats reshape how governments and firms defend digital infrastructure.

The internet economy just crossed a new threshold that few saw coming this fast. The global digital economy is now valued at over $20 trillion, and depending on whose model you trust, that number could hit $28 trillion before the year is out. IDCA research puts the digital economy at roughly 17.3 per cent of world GDP, translating to just over $20 trillion of the world's $119 trillion nominal output. But the Saudi-led digital cooperation organisation's latest forecast is more aggressive. The organisation projects the digital economy will reach $28 trillion in 2026, or 22 per cent of global GDP, growing three times faster than the overall global economy. Also read: Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin almost died on the Moon. The plastic pen that saved them just sold for $857,600 Both figures tell the same story Digital is no longer just a sector; it's the economy's core operating layer. The United States is the clearest signal of this shift. Business applications are up over 17 per cent year-on-year in 2026. Last year saw 5.62 million applications filed, up 8.2 per cent from 2024. That's not stimulus-driven noise. That's a structural, low-barrier, and AI-assisted entrepreneurship boom where anyone with a laptop can launch a shopfront, a content business, or a service brand overnight. The political undercurrent matters too. Cybersecurity has emerged as the single most consequential trend for 2026, as AI-driven risks and quantum-era threats reshape how governments and firms defend digital infrastructure. Whoever controls compute, data flows, and digital trust rules will control the next phase of global economic power. The takeaway: this isn't incremental growth but a redistribution of where value gets created, away from physical capital and towards platforms, code, and individual creators. Over 200 million people now build livelihoods online. The brick-and-mortar economy isn't dying, but it's being absorbed by AI.

Cybersecurity has emerged as the single most consequential trend for 2026, as AI-driven risks and quantum-era threats reshape how governments and firms defend digital infrastructure.

From bricks to clicks: the economy's big shift

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From bricks to clicks: the economy's big shift