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Coinbase Ventures said it will focus 2026 investments on real-world assets (RWA), next-generation DeFi, and crypto-AI tools. The update came this week as the venture arm outlined themes it believes can bring more users and institutions on-chain. The firm also highlighted faster ways to access real-world exposure, aiming to make trading and ownership simpler for mainstream investors.
In a detailed blog post, Coinbase Ventures outline plan across four areas: RWA perpetuals, specialized exchanges and trading terminals, DeFi innovations, and AI + robotics. The team says these categories are where “the next big breakout companies and protocols will emerge.”
Editorial coverage added context. Blockhead report analysis that Coinbase sees RWA perpetuals as a faster alternative to traditional tokenization, letting traders get synthetic exposure without holding the underlying asset. “Perpetuals do not require securing an underlying asset… markets can form around virtually anything,” said Kinji Steimetz, partner at Coinbase Ventures.
The outlook also points to new DeFi building blocks, like unsecured on-chain credit using reputation and data, plus privacy tech for pro users. CoinMarketCap’s Academy summarize priorities , noting interest in prediction-market terminals and Solana-style Prop-AMMs that protect liquidity providers from toxic flow.
Coinbase Ventures argues wallets and compliant rails will help bring funds, property-linked assets, and other RWAs on-chain. If these themes gain traction in 2026, more investors could interact with asset exposure, lending, and payments inside simple apps—moving beyond pilots toward everyday use.
