Right now, Bitcoin is stuck around $91,000, and honestly, it's quite a delicate situation. Breaking through $94,830 would trigger a $2.5 billion short squeeze; dropping to $85,906 would wipe out over $1.5 billion in longs instantly. The US PPI data is about to be released, and the outcome of this bulls vs. bears showdown might be revealed in the next few days.

But beyond short-term price fluctuations, I'm more focused on another thing—fundamental technological changes in the crypto world happening by 2026.

The most obvious change is in payments. Stablecoins are now essentially the "wallet pipelines" of the internet, with nearly zero fees and instant transfers. In the future, cross-border salary payments could be real-time, and small businesses might not even need bank accounts to receive USD. Simply put, the internet itself is transforming into a banking system.

AI is also innovating with new approaches. When AI agents start trading on their own, "Know Your Agent" (KYA) might become more important than KYC—AI without identity verification will struggle to operate. Another key point is privacy technology. Moving data on public blockchains is easy, but securely cross-chain with "secrets" intact is the true moat.

Prediction markets and staking media are also gaining momentum. It's not just about predicting election results; in the future, small details of various social events might be tradable. There's also a new media form called "Staking Media," where commentators must back their opinions with real money; credibility will no longer rely on "neutrality" but on verifiable vested interests.

On one side, there's thrilling price battles; on the other, quiet technological foundations are being laid. Only when legal frameworks truly catch up with the speed of code can blockchain networks unleash their full decentralized potential.

Do you think what will determine the landscape of the next year is the economic data bomb next week, or these ongoing technological transformations?