Приватность превратится в ключевой элемент криптоиндустрии к 2026 году, укрепляя безопасность и анонимность пользователей Translation: Privacy will become a key element of the crypto industry by 2026, enhancing security and user anonymity.

Privacy is a critical feature essential for the growth of global finance in blockchain technology, and by 2026, it is expected to become a fundamental protective barrier for the crypto industry. This is discussed in a blog on a16z crypto.

According to the authors of the publication, up until now, privacy was a relatively minor concern for most protocols. However, this attribute can now differentiate a project from the many others in the field.

«Privacy serves another crucial role: it creates a ‘concentration effect on the chain’ — a kind of network effect of anonymity,» the note states.

Experts noted that transferring assets between public blockchains has become a straightforward task, yet the «transfer of secrets» remains challenging, as switching between private and public environments can lead to leaks of sensitive metadata.

In contrast to a multitude of undifferentiated new protocols, where competition may drive fees nearly to zero, anonymous projects are expected to create a «stronger light effect,» according to a16z.

«When users engage on public blockchains, they can easily transact across different chains. […] In private networks, however, choice matters much more, as joining one makes it less likely they’ll move to another. This creates a winner-takes-all scenario,» the company emphasized.

In the era of advancing quantum technologies and other cybersecurity threats, safeguarding user communications in messaging apps is becoming increasingly vital, the blog authors assert.

Currently, the main issue with messaging services is their centralized server infrastructure and excessive reliance on private organizations.

«Such servers are easy targets for governments, which can shut them down, create backdoors, or compel the disclosure of personal data. […] Communication does not require a single intermediary company. Open protocols are essential for messaging, allowing us to operate without trust,» a16z explained.

The path forward lies in decentralizing networks: eliminating private servers, forgoing individual applications, and utilizing open-source solutions.

The company’s professionals believe that privacy should be a core service, not just an add-on to other products. This is especially crucial for the financial sector and healthcare, which require cryptographic guarantees for data protection.

«We need ‘secrets as a service’: new technologies that provide programmable, built-in rules for information access, client-side encryption, and decentralized key management. […] All of this should be governed by blockchain,» they added.

A wave of exploits in 2025 highlighted the limitations of the current security model based solely on audits, even for mature and well-tested protocols, a16z noted.

To achieve maturity, DeFi protection must evolve from merely identifying error patterns to analyzing properties at the design level — shifting from a «maximum effort» strategy to a «principled approach.»

Thus, global security properties will be formally defined and enforced both before and after blockchain deployments.

«Now, instead of assuming that all errors will be found, we will ensure that compliance with key security attributes is coded into the system, automatically invalidating any transactions that violate them,» the authors of the report concluded.

It is worth noting that at the end of 2025, a16z highlighted emerging promising areas in the crypto market for 2026, among which was privacy.