Coinbase Ventures, the venture arm of America's largest crypto exchange, has shared nine key ideas it aims to invest in in 2026. The investment framework covers a broad spectrum, from RWA-based synthetic products to next-generation DeFi models, prediction market terminals to AI-powered development tools. The team believes these nine ideas could host the "next big breakouts."
RWA Perpetuals
According to Coinbase Ventures, RWA perps will become much more visible in 2026. This structure provides access to offchain assets through synthetic perpetual contracts. Many metrics, such as oil, indices, private company stock, or economic data, can be ported to the chain in this way. The blog post describes this area as "perpification of everything."
New exchange design focused on protecting liquidity providers
Prop-AMM models, emerging within the Solana ecosystem, offer a new market architecture that prevents professional traders and bots from exploiting LPs. Coinbase Ventures believes this structure won't be limited to Solana; it could also open the door to more equitable exchanges across different chains.
Prediction Market Aggregator
Prediction markets have grown, but liquidity remains fragmented. Coinbase Ventures predicts that prediction market terminals, which will aggregate over $600 million in distributed liquidity into a single interface, will become prominent in 2026. The ability to view real-time rates from platforms like Kalshi, Polymarket, and others on a single screen will propel the industry forward.
"Perpetual" and Lending Integration
The combination of perpetual exchanges with lending protocols allows investors to double-use their collateral. It's possible to both maintain a position and earn returns. Coinbase Ventures predicts this model will reach a broader user base in 2026.
Uncollateralized Onchain Lending
The combination of onchain identity and offchain data enables uncollateralized lending. The US has $1.3 trillion in uncollateralized lending volume. Coinbase Ventures argues that this market can be migrated to crypto with greater efficiency. This is seen as a significant step in DeFi's transformation into a "banking alternative."
Onchain Privacy Solutions
Institutional traders are uncomfortable with having their strategies fully visible on-chain. Therefore, private orderbooks, confidential debit-credit mechanisms, and ZK-based privacy layers will be critical areas in 2026. Coinbase Ventures believes that "without privacy, there will be no widespread adoption."
Robotics + DePIN: Incentivized Models for Robotic Data Collection
Physical interaction data for AI systems is still limited. Coinbase Ventures states that DePIN-style incentive mechanisms can scale robotic data collection. Data such as grasping, pressure, and multi-object manipulation are critical for more advanced robot models.
Proof of Humanity
It is increasingly unclear whether digital content is human or AI. Coinbase Ventures believes that identity solutions that combine biometrics, cryptographic signatures, and open standards will become a major challenge in 2026. This area will provide a crucial security layer for social media, content creation, and financial transactions.
On-chain Development with AI Agents
The latest idea is for AI agents to democratize smart contract development. With AI agents handling tasks such as code generation, security scanning, and continuous monitoring, even non-technical founders will be able to launch on-chain projects within hours. Coinbase Ventures sees 2026 as a "breakout year" in this field.
