Industry-leading investment institutions pointed out in their latest outlook report that the industry tracks are changing this year. Rather than saying that new blockchain projects are emerging one after another, it’s more about how existing technologies are playing a role in traditional fields like finance, computing, and media — that’s the real test.

First, let’s look at the prediction market. After integrating crypto and AI, this track will undergo significant changes by 2026. The scale will definitely expand, the coverage will be broader, and the complexity will increase accordingly. But the key is how to determine the truth of results — not only requiring more smart contracts but also a more effective mechanism to establish the final facts. This is a new challenge.

Another focus is breakthroughs in cryptographic proofs. Zero-knowledge virtual machine technology is advancing rapidly, and the cost of generating proofs has dropped significantly. What does this mean? Verifiable computation is moving from pure theory to reality — feasible from cloud CPU processing to consumer-grade devices. 2026 could be the inflection point where cryptographic proofs extend from the blockchain community to the outside world.

Deeper changes are here: prediction market expansion, cryptographic proofs integrated into enterprise systems, and real investments becoming the new foundation of trust. These factors, combined with advances in cryptography, AI, and market design, are accelerating. Native cryptographic tools are penetrating industries beyond DeFi. The role of blockchain is shifting from terminal applications to underlying infrastructure.