PANews reported on January 9th that, according to The Block, a16z Crypto stated in a new outlook report released on Thursday that the next phase of industry development this year will no longer primarily depend on the emergence of new blockchains, but rather on how the technology reshapes markets, computing infrastructure, and the media landscape. The industry will undergo transformation as prediction markets expand, cryptographic proofs are integrated into enterprise systems, and "real money investment" in the financial sector becomes a new cornerstone of trust. Driven by advancements in cryptography, artificial intelligence, and market design, crypto-native tools are increasingly penetrating numerous industries beyond decentralized finance, with blockchain playing a role as underlying infrastructure rather than as a standalone application scenario or end-user target.

a16z Crypto states that by 2026, prediction markets will be larger, broader, and more complex as they converge with cryptography and artificial intelligence. This next phase of growth will involve not only more contracts but also better ways to determine the truth in disputed outcomes. Furthermore, 2026 could be a turning point for the expansion of cryptographic proofs into non-blockchain industries. Advances in zero-knowledge virtual machine technology are significantly reducing the cost of generating proofs, making verifiable computation feasible for cloud CPU workloads and ultimately for consumer devices. The company's third focus is the rise of "staking media," a model where creators, analysts, and commentators use cryptographic tools to make publicly verifiable commitments that align their incentives with their claims. Tokenized assets, programmable lock-up periods, and on-chain historical records allow media participants to demonstrate their credibility by taking on capital or reputational risk, which can then be verified by the audience.