As we approach 2026, the blockchain ecosystem is moving from niche circles to mainstream infrastructure. Recently, I compiled the top ten core trends worth paying attention to, and I’d like to share them with you today.

First, the era of institutions has truly arrived. Regulatory frameworks are becoming clearer, and the implementation of bills like the CLARITY Act has led Fortune 100 companies to start large-scale on-chain activities. Institutional capital continues to flow in, with the ETH ecosystem benefiting the most.

RWA tokenization will experience a complete explosion. Real-world assets—including securities and real estate—total hundreds of billions of dollars, and these assets are becoming core collateral in DeFi. The growth momentum in this sector is beyond imagination.

The integration of AI and blockchain is no longer theoretical. AI agents need blockchain to ensure identity verification, payment settlement, and trust mechanisms. Decentralized AI markets are beginning to emerge.

The role of stablecoins will be fundamentally transformed. Market capitalization is expected to double to $500-600 billion, gradually evolving into a true "network dollar" that supports cross-border payments and corporate fund flows. SOL and other high-speed chains will compete fiercely in this space.

Privacy technology has become a new moat. The application of ZK proofs will be widely adopted, enabling public chains to handle sensitive data without exposing information. Projects like SUI are particularly worth watching in this regard.

Interoperability-led era is coming. Cross-chain protocols are becoming more mature, and modular blockchain designs (such as Avalanche and OP Stack) will become the true winners. Bitcoin liquidity will also see significant improvements as a result.

DeFi is moving toward maturity. Total Value Locked (TVL) has surpassed $1 trillion, and trading volumes on prediction market platforms like Polymarket have already reached tens of billions.

Sustainable development is gaining higher priority. Green protocols are favored by ESG funds, and carbon footprint disclosure is gradually becoming a regulatory requirement.

Finally, the era of performance revolution is here. Next-generation L1 and L2 solutions achieve sub-second transaction confirmation times and extremely low costs. User experience is now comparable to traditional internet levels, which is essential for large-scale adoption.