Pantera Analyst Foresees ‘Quantum Panic’ and Tokenized Gold Boom

Junior partner at Pantera Capital, Jay Yu, has shared 12 predictions for the development of the crypto industry in 2026. The list covers a wide range of topics, from prediction markets to privacy tools.

In 2025, four out of seven of the expert’s predictions proved accurate. Yu successfully predicted the deep integration of stablecoins into global payment systems, a renaissance of corporate blockchains, a trend towards privacy, and growing interest in cryptocurrencies from TradFi giants.

His forecasts for the coming year include:

1. A new phase for lending. The sector will shift to capital-efficient consumer loans, based on AI scoring, behavioral analysis, and modular architecture.
2. Segmentation of prediction markets. Platforms will split into two directions: financial (DeFi, leverage, liquid staking) and “cultural” (for mass audiences with local variations).
3. Growth of agent commerce through x402. This payment infrastructure will become a mainstream framework for regular transactions, akin to Apple Pay. Some websites will receive more than 50% of their revenue through it. In the microtransaction niche, Solana is expected to surpass Base.
4. AI as an interface. AI-based assistants for trend and project analysis will become standard for user crypto applications, although fully autonomous trading models will remain experimental.
5. Rise of tokenized gold. Digitized precious metal will become a leading asset in the RWA segment as a tool to bypass physical limitations and preserve value.
6. “Quantum panic.” Breakthroughs in computing will prompt major Bitcoin holders to discuss protection plans. Despite the noise, there will be no real threat of network hacking in the coming year.
7. Unification of privacy. Developer-friendly interfaces like Kohaku from Ethereum will emerge, abstracting technical complexities. Companies will start offering Privacy-as-a-Service for corporate workflows.
8. Consolidation of DAT. Only two or three crypto treasuries will remain for each major asset.
9. Blurring the line between token and stock. “Governance” tokens, which do not confer legal rights, will face a crisis. Quality companies will prefer to remain private longer. Coins convertible into stocks may emerge.
10. Leadership of Hyperliquid. The platform will maintain its lead among perp-DEX, with HIP-3 markets being the main volume driver.
11. Multichain for prop-AMM. Such solutions will operate across more networks and account for more than half of the volume on Solana.
12. Stablecoins for international payments. Fintech companies like Stripe and Ramp will begin to widely use “stablecoins” for cross-border settlements.

Earlier, investor Anthony Pompliano predicted a stable 2026 for Bitcoin.

Analysts from Bitwise and Grayscale forecast that the cryptocurrency will reach new highs.