Прогноз a16z: 2026 год станет ключевым для интеграции криптотехнологий в традиционные бизнес-модели Translation: a16z Forecast: 2026 Will Be Pivotal for Integrating Crypto Technologies into Traditional Business Models

Experts have also predicted the emergence of a new media format.

In 2026, the digital asset market will focus on integrating tools such as prediction platforms and cryptographic proofs into traditional business and infrastructure. This forecast was shared by analysts from a16z crypto.

They indicated that crypto-native tools are increasingly infiltrating industries far beyond decentralized finance. This trend is driven by advancements in cryptography, artificial intelligence, and the creation of new economic systems and regulations, enabling blockchains to serve as foundational infrastructure rather than merely end products.

According to a16z’s forecast, prediction markets will grow larger, broader, and more complex due to the intersection of crypto technologies and AI.

By the end of 2025, the total trading volume on the two largest platforms—Polymarket and Kalshi—reached $28 billion.

Andy Hall, a scientific advisor at the company, emphasized that future developments will hinge not only on the increase in contract numbers but also on enhancing the methods of establishing truth in resolving disputed outcomes.

He cited recent conflicts surrounding political and geopolitical markets, which clearly demonstrated that centralized arbitration mechanisms struggle with scalability. This creates a sustainable demand for decentralized governance models and oracles utilizing AI for more objective and transparent outcome determinations.

a16z also believes that 2026 could mark a turning point for Zero-Knowledge (ZK) proofs, which will see widespread adoption in traditional sectors not related to blockchain.

Justin Taller, a member of the research team, highlighted that advancements in zkEVM are significantly reducing the cost of generating proofs. This makes computations economically viable even for cloud CPU tasks, and potentially for consumer devices in the future.

According to the expert, this technological shift will pave the way for long-discussed applications such as verifiable cloud computing. Businesses will be able to obtain cryptographic guarantees that computations have been performed correctly, without the need for re-execution or costly auditing.

As the overhead for generating proofs continues to decrease and hardware performance improves, cryptographic verification may cease to be an «exotic» feature of blockchains and become a standard component of the overall digital infrastructure.

The third trend is the emergence of staked media. The idea is that content creators utilize tokens and smart contracts to forge publicly verifiable commitments that directly tie their reputational incentives to their own statements and predictions.

«Since it has become cheap and easy to generate endless content using AI—making claims from any perspective or on behalf of any character, real or fictional—simple trust in what people (or bots) say may no longer suffice,» explained Robert Hackett from a16z’s editorial division.

He noted that this mechanism would allow media figures to demonstrate their neutrality and objectivity. For instance, when expressing their position or prediction, an expert could lock tokens to show they are not engaging in speculation or a Pump & Dump scheme.

«Alternatively, an analyst could tie their predictions to public markets, thus creating a verifiable track record,» Hackett added.

He stressed that the new format would not replace traditional media but rather «serve as an important complement» to it.

Recall that a16z identified privacy as the main focus of the crypto market in 2026.