a16z Crypto, in its New Year’s predictions for 2026, stated that the cryptocurrency sector will enter a critical phase in its deep integration with finance, the internet, and legal systems.
The company’s 17-point “Crypto Industry Trend Outlook” argues that the sector is increasingly evolving from a transaction-centric structure to an infrastructure-centric model.
According to a16z Crypto, in the coming period, transactions will cease to be the ultimate goal in crypto projects; instead, they will assume the role of a “transfer station” enabling the transition to broader application ecosystems. With this transformation, crypto is expected to become a fundamental building block of the internet and financial systems.
According to the assessments included in the report:
- Stablecoins will trigger significant upgrades in banking ledgers and payment infrastructures by making fiat currency deposits and withdrawals more efficient.
- The tokenization of real-world assets (RWA) will evolve into a more “inherently crypto-specific” structure, with stablecoins becoming a critical infrastructure element in this process.
- Cryptocurrency technologies are making wealth management accessible to everyone, not just high-income individuals.
- Privacy is seen as the most important long-term competitive advantage for the crypto ecosystem.
- Decentralized and quantum-resistant communication solutions are expected to give rise to new paradigms such as “Privacy as a Service”.
- Artificial intelligence will be widely used in rigorous research scenarios; the current “Know Your Customer (KYC)” approach will evolve into a “Know Your Agent (KAA)” model.
- New application forms such as prediction markets and staked media are expected to expand their impact.
- It is stated that the full potential of blockchain will be unlocked when the legal architecture becomes compatible with the technical architecture.
a16z Crypto believes that as a result of these developments, crypto will position itself not only as a financial instrument but also as a fundamental infrastructure of the internet and financial world, and that the long-term growth of the sector will be shaped by this transformation.
*This is not investment advice.
