a16z has released 17 predictions for cryptocurrency in 2026. Most are obvious, but some are surprising. Here are a few key points: 1. Privacy will become the strongest moat. Cross-chain tokens are easy, but cross-chain keys are difficult. Private chains are less likely to experience user churn. A winner-takes-all scenario will emerge. 2. Know Your Agent (KYA) In financial services, the number of non-human identities is 96 times that of human employees. The bottleneck of the agent economy lies in identity verification. 3. AI agents are consuming the open network. They extract value from ad-supported websites while bypassing other revenue streams. The network needs real-time, usage-based payment mechanisms, or content creation will collapse. The full report, written by @a16z, is worth reading.