Crypto's Next Phase Goes Beyond New Blockchains, a16z Says

Andreessen Horowitz’s crypto arm has outlined a vision for the next phase of the industry, emphasizing the role of crypto in reshaping markets, computing infrastructure, and media rather than the creation of new blockchains according to a16z's analysis. The outlook highlights how prediction markets, cryptographic proofs, and staked media are likely to define the evolution of the space in 2026 as reported.

The firm points to prediction markets as one of the key areas of growth, with platforms like Polymarket and Kalshi already recording significant trading volumes. As the technology integrates with crypto and AI, these markets are expected to expand into new domains and become more sophisticated according to analysis.

Andy Hall, a16z crypto research affiliate, notes that the next stage of growth will involve not just more contracts but better ways to resolve truth in contested outcomes. Centralized resolution mechanisms have struggled at scale, creating a demand for decentralized governance models and AI-assisted oracles to determine outcomes more transparently as explained.

The firm also sees a shift in cryptographic proofs moving beyond blockchain to enterprise systems. Justin Thaler from a16z crypto explains that advances in zero-knowledge virtual machines are reducing the cost of generating proofs, making verifiable computation viable for cloud CPU workloads and consumer-scale devices according to a16z's outlook.

As proving overheads fall and hardware performance improves, cryptographic verification could become a common feature of broader digital infrastructure. This shift could unlock use cases like verifiable cloud computing, where businesses can obtain cryptographic guarantees that computations were executed correctly without having to re-run them as predicted.

Why Did This Happen?

A third theme in a16z's outlook is the rise of "staked media," a model in which creators, analysts, and commentators use crypto tools to make publicly verifiable commitments that align their incentives with their claims. Robert Hackett from the a16z crypto editorial team explains that tokenized assets, programmable lockups, and onchain histories allow media participants to demonstrate credibility by putting capital or reputation at risk in a way audiences can audit according to analysis.

As AI-generated content proliferates and the cost of producing persuasive narratives collapses, cryptographic commitments could provide a new signal of trust. This model supports credibility established not by claims of neutrality, but by transparent exposure to outcomes as described.

What Implications Does This Hold For Investors?

The outlook builds on a broader set of predictions from a16z crypto, including the argument that privacy will emerge as the most important competitive moat for blockchain networks in 2026 according to a16z's analysis. This shift suggests that blockchain networks emphasizing privacy will gain a competitive edge as data privacy regulations tighten and trust becomes a critical factor in digital transactions.

For investors, the evolving landscape of crypto and its integration with markets, computing, and media presents new opportunities and challenges. As the industry moves beyond new blockchains to more sophisticated applications, understanding the role of prediction markets, cryptographic proofs, and staked media will be essential for navigating the space as noted.