The crypto industry's three structural pillars heading into 2026.

Web3 AI stands at the forefront. While large language models continue advancing, raw computational scale won't cut it anymore. The real challenges are staring us in the face: how do we solve identity verification, establish accountability, and rebuild trust in systems that don't inherently provide it?

That's where Web3 comes in. The decentralized layer handles what AI alone cannot—secure data encryption and transparent distribution mechanisms. Then you layer on AI-native payments and settlement systems, and suddenly you have something that actually works at scale.

The missing piece has always been this: AI needs trustless infrastructure to operate effectively. Massive models without Web3's cryptographic foundation? They're incomplete. But combine them? That's when you get real innovation. The infrastructure that locks in accountability while enabling the processing power to actually do something useful with it.

This isn't just theoretical. It's the backbone of what crypto infrastructure becomes in 2026.