a16z's latest annual cryptocurrency forecast report indicates that by 2026, blockchain, artificial intelligence agents, and the global payment system will undergo profound transformations. The report focuses on three key trends: the rise of AI agents, the integration of payments into the underlying network, and the full advent of the privacy blockchain era. These changes will reshape the financial infrastructure of the internet.
Firstly, a16z believes the most disruptive force will come from the explosive growth of autonomous AI agents. In future financial markets, the number of AI agents will far exceed human participants, but currently they still lack authentication, permissions, and compliance frameworks. a16z predicts that by 2026, the first "KYA (Know Your Agent)" standard will emerge, binding identities, responsibilities, and rules to agents, enabling them to conduct secure on-chain transactions and truly become market participants with programmable economic behaviors.