Investing Trends for 2026: DeFi, Tokenization, Capital Formation, Speculation & AI

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Ben Lakoff and Arnav Pagidyala from Bankless Ventures lay out how they’re thinking about crypto investing heading into 2026.

The conversation spans four persistent pillars of every cycle: DeFi, tokenization, capital formation, and speculation and how each is evolving as crypto matures.

Topics include the next wave of on-chain lending, equity perps, DeFi neobanks, verticalized tokenization platforms, compliant ICOs, prediction and opinion markets, and where AI agents may reshape crypto-native finance.

A candid look at what’s investable now, what’s changing, and how Bankless Ventures is underwriting the next cycle.

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TIMESTAMPS

0:00 Intro
11:59 DeFi
36:20 Tokenization
50:25 Capital Formation
1:00:44 Speculation Markets
1:09:58 AI
1:13:26 Founders & Teams
1:15:31 Closing & Disclaimers

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RESOURCES

Ben Lakoff
https://x.com/benlakoff

Arnav
https://x.com/0xArnav

Bankless Ventures
https://x.com/banklessvc

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Not financial or tax advice. See our investment disclosures here:
https://www.bankless.com/disclosures⁠