Tokenization, Privacy, AI, and More

TLDR

• a16z crypto plans to improve stablecoin onramps/offramps and drive a bank ledger upgrade using programmable settlement layers.
• The firm promotes a shift from Know Your Customer (KYC) to Know Your Agent (KYA) for adaptable, software-based financial identity.
• Privacy is identified as the core moat, with quantum-resistant and decentralized messaging marked as critical infrastructure.
• AI will power advanced research tasks while web monetization models face challenges from the “invisible tax” of data tracking.
•  a16z crypto connects blockchain growth to legal alignment and supports “staked media” as a future model for content verification.

a16z crypto has released a roadmap identifying 17 key themes it will monitor across the crypto ecosystem in 2026. These themes address infrastructure, regulation, tokenization, privacy, and new use cases beyond trading.

Stablecoin Access, Tokenized Assets, and Financial Infrastructure

a16z crypto emphasized the importance of better, more efficient onramps and offramps for stablecoins in 2026 infrastructure development. The firm cited tokenization of real-world assets (RWAs) as a priority, stating it must become more crypto-native in design.

It believes stablecoins will also initiate a broader bank ledger upgrade cycle that supports programmable payments and atomic settlement. This shift can expand scenarios where digital dollars are integrated into applications. “The internet becomes the bank,” a16z crypto stated in its release. The roadmap also lists universal wealth management access as a design goal for decentralized platforms in the coming year.

a16z crypto supported a change in compliance focus from traditional Know Your Customer (KYC) to a Know Your Agent (KYA) model. This model emphasizes software agent identity over static user data, enabling programmable and auditable systems. It enables more flexible architectures while maintaining accountability standards. The firm considers KYA more suitable for automated finance environments.

Privacy Systems, Messaging, and Applied Intelligence

a16z crypto stated that privacy will form the most important moat in future crypto architecture. The roadmap identified decentralized, quantum-resistant messaging networks as essential infrastructure. It proposed that messaging protocols should operate independently of centralized platforms.

“Secrets-as-a-service” will also emerge, the firm said, offering programmable privacy tools and confidential workflows. These capabilities would serve both consumer and enterprise applications. AI systems will handle research-heavy workloads, including token design analysis and governance simulations.

The firm noted growing concerns about the “invisible tax” of web tracking, which creates monetization friction across the open internet. It predicted growth in prediction markets, stating that they will become broader and more intelligent in structure. a16z crypto anticipates a shift in design philosophy from “code is law” to “spec is law.” In that vision, software protocols follow formal specifications enforced by modular governance.

New Primitives, Staked Content, and Legal-Technical Alignment

The roadmap noted that crypto will provide primitives usable outside blockchain contexts, including zero-knowledge proofs and permissionless coordination. a16z crypto said trading should no longer define product success and should act as a short-term entry point.

Instead, teams should move toward sustainable use cases like programmable media and data verification. It expects the emergence of “staked media,” where publishing is tied to crypto assets. This format enables economic incentives to support information integrity.

Legal alignment remains one of the final unlocks for blockchain potential, according to the roadmap. a16z crypto said technical innovation alone is insufficient without legal frameworks that support decentralized protocols. The firm’s statement concluded by noting that full potential will come “when legal architecture matches technical architecture.” That alignment remains a priority across jurisdictions in 2026.