Table of Contents
Quantum Computing Will Force Bitcoin to Evolve
Pantera Capital believes that by 2026 the topic of quantum computing will move from theory to strategic planning. While Bitcoin is not under immediate existential threat, breakthroughs in quantum hardware will push large institutions to seriously evaluate cryptographic resilience.
This will likely accelerate research into quantum-resistant signatures and migration paths for major blockchains. The report emphasizes that fear itself will become a catalyst for protocol-level upgrades rather than an actual technical emergency.
Stablecoins Will Replace Traditional Payment Rails
According to Pantera, major fintech companies such as Stripe, Ramp and Brex will increasingly rely on stablecoins for cross-border payments. The motivation is simple: faster settlement, lower costs, and fewer intermediaries.
Instead of routing payments through correspondent banking networks, fintechs will use blockchain rails directly, making stablecoins the default layer for international commerce.
AI-Driven Crypto Lending Will Surpass Banks
Crypto lending is expected to undergo a major transformation. Pantera predicts that artificial intelligence will analyze users’ transaction history, behavioral patterns and on-chain activity to underwrite loans in real time.
This approach could outperform traditional banks in both speed and accuracy, allowing borrowers to receive better terms and instant approvals, while lenders gain more precise risk models.
Prediction Markets Will Split Into Finance and Culture
Pantera expects the prediction market sector to fragment into two distinct ecosystems.
One side will evolve into a full-scale financial product with leverage, derivatives and professional traders. The other will become a cultural and social phenomenon, centered around community engagement, memes and grassroots participation.
AI Agents Will Become Economic Actors
By 2026, AI agents are forecast to operate as autonomous economic entities. These agents will pay for services through x402-style payment systems — comparable to Apple Pay, but fully automated.
Some digital services are expected to generate more than 50% of their revenue from AI-to-AI payments. In this microtransaction economy, Solana is projected to surpass Base in total payment volume.
AI Becomes Standard in Crypto Applications
Artificial intelligence will no longer be an add-on feature. Pantera expects AI assistants to become standard across wallets, trading platforms and analytics tools.
These assistants will help users analyze projects, monitor on-chain data and generate trading ideas, making crypto interfaces dramatically more accessible to retail users.
Tokenized Gold Will Lead the RWA Boom
Tokenized gold is forecast to become the flagship product of the real-world asset sector. It offers exposure to physical gold while bypassing logistical restrictions and custody barriers.
Pantera sees this trend as a hedge against dollar instability and a bridge between traditional commodity markets and decentralized finance.
Privacy-as-a-Service Goes Mainstream
Dedicated privacy infrastructure will emerge, especially for enterprise users. Pantera expects to see turnkey “Privacy-as-a-Service” solutions along with unified developer experiences for integrating confidentiality features.
This could become a new vertical similar to cloud security in Web2.
Crypto Treasury Companies Will Consolidate
Firms that hold crypto assets as treasury reserves will face consolidation pressure. Only the largest and best-capitalized players are expected to survive, creating a smaller but more stable class of crypto-native public companies.
Tokens and Stocks Will Begin to Merge
The boundary between governance tokens and traditional equities is set to blur. Pantera forecasts a crisis for governance tokens that lack real control, while new hybrid instruments emerge.
These future tokens may carry legal rights to exchange into shares, forcing regulators to clarify their legal status.
Hyperliquid Strengthens Its Lead in Perpetuals
On the derivatives side, Hyperliquid is expected to entrench itself as the dominant perpetuals platform. At the same time, USDC may lose its dominance on decentralized exchanges to yield-bearing stablecoins such as USDe and USDH.
AMMs Will Become Cross-Chain Infrastructure
Proprietary automated market makers will expand beyond single chains and operate across multiple networks. Pantera predicts they will account for over half of Solana’s trading volume and even be used for pricing real-world assets.
BTCUSA Insight
Pantera’s 2026 outlook paints a future where crypto is no longer an experimental layer but the default financial infrastructure, with AI agents, tokenized commodities and stablecoin rails redefining how value moves globally.
