Chainfeeds Summary:
Pantera Capital researcher Jay Yu has released his 12 predictions for the cryptocurrency market in 2026, covering areas such as DeFi, AI, stablecoins, and prediction markets.
Article source:
https://x.com/0xfishylosopher/status/2003830142330900513
Article Author:
Jay Yu
Opinion:
Jay Yu: 1) Capital-Efficient Consumer Credit: Capital-efficient consumer credit will become the next frontier in crypto lending. It combines sophisticated on-chain and off-chain credit modeling, modular design, and collateral management, leveraging AI to learn user behavior—all integrated into an easily accessible application. 2) The Dual-Track Approach of Prediction Markets: Prediction markets will evolve in two directions: financial and cultural. In the financial direction, prediction markets will become more compatible with DeFi, offering easier leverage, supporting liquid staking, and creating instruments similar to segmented options. In the cultural direction, prediction markets will capture more of the public imagination, exhibiting greater local diversity and attracting long-tail enthusiasts. 3) The Rise of Proxy Commerce and x402: Proxy commerce using endpoints like x402 will expand into more service areas. While the core appeal of proxy commerce remains micropayments, x402 will also be increasingly used as a framework for regular payments, with mechanisms similar to Apple Pay. 4) AI as an Interface Layer for Crypto: AI-based transaction loops will become mainstream. While fully automated trading AI based on Large Language Models (LLMs) remains experimental, AI assistants (e.g., crypto trend analysis, specific project analysis, wallet tracking, etc.) will gradually penetrate most consumer-facing crypto applications. 5) The Rise of Tokenized Gold: Trading volume in tokenized gold will grow, making it a major asset pushed towards Real Assets (RWAs). Tokenized gold offers a solution to the physical restrictions on gold in various jurisdictions and is becoming an increasingly attractive store of value as the dollar faces structural problems (e.g., geopolitics, inflation, debt, etc.). 6) Bitcoin's Quantum Panic: A quantum technology breakthrough may trigger panic, prompting large Bitcoin holders to discuss quantum countermeasures. The resilience of Bitcoin and Satoshi-era tokens will be a focus. Fortunately, current technology cannot threaten Bitcoin's value. 7) Unified Developer Experience for Privacy: Privacy will gain a unified and robust developer interface, similar to the continued development of frameworks like Ethereum's Kohaku. These frameworks will undergo an evolution similar to the previous cycle of wallet-as-a-service platforms, providing an abstract application-level product that simplifies the use of technology connectors. We may see companies offering privacy-as-a-service bundles (perhaps integrated with wallets) primarily for enterprise workflows.
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