A16Z Crypto Trends Outlook: In 2026, Will You Take These Three Paths to Success?
a16z Crypto's 2026 Outlook: Three Key Trends to Watch
1. Prediction markets will become more widespread, intelligent, and integrated with AI and blockchain. They will expand beyond major events to cover nuanced outcomes, raising social questions about information value and market design. AI agents will trade and uncover signals, while decentralized governance and LLM-powered oracles will resolve disputes. They won't replace polls but will enhance them, with blockchain verifying human participants.
2. Blockchain-based cryptographic tools, specifically zk-SNARKs, will become practical for broader industries. The computational overhead for generating proofs in zkVMs is dropping to around 10,000x, making it feasible to run on devices like phones. This enables verifiable cloud computing, where GPU-powered proof generation can cryptographically verify CPU workloads run in the cloud at a reasonable cost.
3. "Staked Media" will emerge as a new trust paradigm. Moving beyond the flawed ideal of objectivity, this model uses cryptographic tools to make public, verifiable commitments. Commentators, podcasters, and analysts can stake tokens, link predictions to prediction markets, and create an auditable record of their aligned incentives. Trust is built not on claimed neutrality but on transparent, verifiable proof of having "skin in the game."
marsbit01/09 11:43
