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

interneteconomy

Internet economy, News on Internet economy, stories on Internet economy, articles on Internet economy, Internet economy stories at Wion, Internet economy news, Internet economy latest news