Predicting the market entering the mainstream era: new opportunities and challenges behind the deep integration of crypto and AI

【Blockchain Rhythm】 Prediction markets have become a new hot spot. Many industry insiders believe that 2026 will see a true explosion in this sector—along with the deep integration of cryptography and artificial intelligence, the size of prediction markets will expand, cover a broader range, and become smarter. However, this new prosperity will inevitably bring new problems.

The surge in the number of contracts is a signal. This year, we can see more new contracts launching successively, not only those related to macro events like elections or geopolitical issues but also a variety of niche fields and complex intertwined scenarios. Once these contracts disclose data, they will integrate into the news ecosystem and even influence public opinion in turn. This raises a sharp question: how valuable are these types of information? How can market design be optimized while ensuring transparency and auditability? Blockchain technology just provides the underlying foundation here.

The real test lies in the arbitration mechanism. As contracts grow explosively, the market needs a reliable “truth consensus” mechanism to resolve arbitration issues—who decides what truly happened? This is a core problem that builders must solve and is also key to whether prediction markets can develop healthily in the long term.