Coinbase Ventures, the investment arm of the US-based cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase, has unveiled its investment vision for 2026. This strategic vision identifies new opportunities under four major themes: perpetual futures on real-world assets (RWA), Prop-AMM models on Solana, on-chain credit, and AI-supported smart contract development. The report highlights that the maturity of the crypto world in 2025 is expected to spark an entirely new wave of innovation.
Transformation of Real-World Assets into Perpetual Futures
Coinbase Ventures anticipates that perpetual futures contracts based on real-world assets will be the largest breakthrough in the coming era. Instead of traditional tokenization, synthetic contracts are expected to grant access to a wide variety of assets, from macro data to energy prices. This innovation will allow the cryptocurrency market to swiftly respond to global economic indicators, not just cryptocurrencies. Known as the “everything is a perpetual futures contract” trend, it will enable investors to engage in on-chain transactions using data on oil, inflation, or credit spreads.
Another focal area is the development of Prop-AMM structures on Solana and unified trading terminals for prediction markets. Coinbase Ventures envisions a system where $600 million in liquidity, currently dispersed across various platforms, is consolidated under one interface. This approach will permit professional investors to engage in arbitrage across multiple exchanges using advanced order types.
Next-Generation DeFi and AI Integration
For the future of DeFi, notable areas include composite perpetual futures markets, unsecured credit protocols, and privacy-focused blockchains. Coinbase Ventures foresees blockchain-based credit models reaching a scale to rival traditional banking in 2026, thanks to on-chain identity and data integration. Additionally, there is an increasing demand for private trading infrastructures that do not disclose corporate and professional investors’ strategies.
In the AI and robotics domain, three significant activities are highlighted: DePIN-based models for robotic data collection, “Proof of Humanity” systems for identity verification, and AI-powered automation in smart contract development. Coinbase Ventures considers these areas as foundational for enhancing both on-chain security and the generative AI economy.