Y Combinator releases report on cryptocurrency startup directions: focusing on stablecoins, asset tokenization, and AI Agents.

October 29 — In a report on crypto industry startup directions released in October 2026, Y Combinator pointed out that over the past year, crypto applications were for the first time led by institutions rather than consumers, with the main driver shifting from speculation to real financial needs such as oil price risk hedging and corporate cross-border fund transfers.

YC expects that assets such as stablecoins, equities, debt, commodities, and housing property rights will be further tokenized. New asset types including startup equity and small-value securities worth less than $10,000 will also be issued via blockchain, driving the development of financial services such as trading, lending, and derivatives. AI Agents will become one of the main participants in financial activities.

Over the next six months, YC will focus on using blockchain to finance the AI industry, new dollar stablecoins and non-dollar stablecoins for niche markets, new banks based on stablecoins, real-world asset tokenization, new trading platforms and trading interfaces, as well as AI Agent trading and related API infrastructure. YC believes that blockchain technology and stablecoins may respectively disrupt traditional stock exchanges and the banking system.