Investing Trends for 2026: DeFi, Tokenization, Capital Formation, Speculation & AI | Ben Lakoff & Arnav from Bankless Ventures

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