These ideas reflect where a16z sees the market heading and what builders should focus on next year.
These ideas reflect where a16z sees the market heading and what builders should focus on next year.
a16z says stablecoins will keep growing. They handled about $46 trillion in transactions in 2025. That is more than 20 times PayPal and almost three times Visa. The challenge, a16z notes, is connecting stablecoins to everyday money systems.
Startups are building ways to swap local money for stablecoins and let people spend them in stores. This could help workers get paid instantly across countries and let merchants accept money without banks.
The company also predicts more crypto-native tokenization of real-world assets. They suggest things like perpetual futures could give deeper liquidity instead of copying old financial products.
a16z thinks tokenized assets can help banks and fintechs make payments faster and reach more people while avoiding old system upgrades.
a16z also says AI and tokenized assets could make wealth management easier for everyone, not just the rich. Retail investors may get access to private equity, pre-IPO companies, and private credit through crypto platforms.
The firm predicts AI agents will automate tasks and payments. They say a new system called “Know Your Agent” or KYA will be needed to identify these AI agents. a16z also says AI could help with research, patents, and smart contracts.
Privacy is another key point. a16z notes private blockchains could be stronger because moving from one private chain to another is harder than moving between public chains. Messaging and data may also become decentralized with “secrets-as-a-service,” giving users more control over their information.
Other predictions include bigger prediction markets, staked media with verifiable content, and crypto networks working better with U.S. laws. a16z sees 2026 as a year of more mainstream adoption, AI tools, privacy, and new ways to use crypto safely.
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17 things we're excited about for crypto in 2026... 1. Better, more clever onramps/ offramps for stablecoins 2. Thinking about tokenization of real world assets, and stablecoins, in a more crypto-native way 3. Stablecoins unlock the bank ledger upgrade cycle — and new payment Show more
