The post Inside a16z Crypto’s 2026 Roadmap: Tokenization, Privacy, AI, and More appeared on BitcoinEthereumNews.com.

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…

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Filed under: News - @ January 1, 2026 11:28 am