A16z crypto says next wave moves from chains to applications

Andreessen Horowitz’s digital assets unit, a16z crypto, released an outlook Thursday stating that the industry’s next phase will be shaped less by launching new blockchains and more by how crypto reshapes markets, computing infrastructure and media. The report highlights scaling prediction markets, enterprise use of cryptographic proofs and “staked media” models.

The outlook notes that crypto tools are moving into sectors beyond decentralized finance as advances in cryptography, artificial intelligence and market design let blockchains function as back-end infrastructure for applications.

On markets, a16z crypto expects prediction markets to become larger and more sophisticated in 2026 as they intersect with crypto and AI. Andy Hall, an a16z crypto research advisor and Stanford professor, emphasized that resolving disputed outcomes will be a core challenge, pointing to recent controversies in political and geopolitical contracts. He argued centralized resolution will struggle at scale, which could increase demand for decentralized governance and AI-assisted oracles to determine results more transparently.

On computing, the firm underscores progress in zero-knowledge virtual machines that lower the cost of generating proofs for complex tasks. Justin Thaler, a member of the a16z crypto research team and an associate professor at Georgetown University, described falling proving costs as a path to verifiable computation for cloud CPU workloads and, over time, consumer devices.

He outlined a model in which businesses can obtain cryptographic assurance that outsourced computations ran correctly without re-running them. With continued efficiency gains and hardware advances, he projected that verification could extend beyond blockchains into broader digital infrastructure.

On media, the outlook highlights “staked media,” where creators, analysts and commentators make public, auditable commitments that align incentives with their claims. Robert Hackett of the a16z crypto editorial team noted that tokenized assets, programmable lockups and onchain histories let participants demonstrate credibility by placing capital or reputation at risk in ways audiences can audit. 

With AI-generated content spreading and production costs falling, he viewed cryptographic commitments as a potential trust signal that complements traditional journalism by focusing on transparent exposure to outcomes. The outlook follows earlier projections from a16z crypto contending that privacy will become a major competitive moat for blockchain networks in 2026.

As we covered previously, a16z crypto said chains with strong confidentiality retain users and institutions. The firm cast privacy as enabling payroll, healthcare, and identity-linked finance via selective disclosure.