a16z Crypto: The next phase of the crypto industry will go beyond the scope of new blockchains

PANews January 9 News, according to The Block, reports that in a new outlook report released by a16z Crypto on Thursday, the next phase of industry development will no longer primarily depend on the emergence of new blockchains, but rather on how this technology reshapes markets, computing infrastructure, and media sectors. As the predicted market size expands, crypto proofs are integrated into enterprise systems, and significant financial investments become the new foundation of trust, the industry is set for transformation. Driven by advances in cryptography, artificial intelligence, and market design, crypto-native tools are increasingly penetrating numerous industries beyond decentralized finance, with blockchain serving as underlying infrastructure rather than as standalone applications or end goals.

a16z Crypto states that with the integration of prediction markets, cryptography, and artificial intelligence, by 2026, prediction markets will be larger, broader in scope, and more complex; the next growth phase will involve not only more contracts but also better methods for resolving disputes and determining truth outcomes. Furthermore, 2026 may mark a turning point for the expansion of cryptographic proofs into non-blockchain industries, as advances in zero-knowledge virtual machine technology significantly reduce the cost of generating proofs, making verifiable computation feasible in cloud CPU workloads and ultimately on consumer-grade devices. The company’s third focus is the rise of “staked media”; in this model, creators, analysts, and commentators make publicly verifiable commitments using cryptographic tools, aligning their incentives with their claims; tokenized assets, programmable locking, and on-chain history enable media participants to demonstrate credibility by taking on capital or reputation risks, while audiences can audit these claims.