Messari's Unqualified Opinions

Prediction markets may be the first real breakout product for consumer crypto—and they’re only getting started.In this episode of Messari’s 2026 Theses consumer series, we’re joined by Tulip King and Baba, two former Messari analysts, to unpack where consumer crypto actually goes next. The conversation spans prediction markets as base infrastructure, why memecoins and NFTs needed a reset, how wallets become the new distribution layer, and whether crypto social finally has a real unlock.We connect these themes directly to Messari’s newly published 2026 Crypto Theses, exploring what adoption looks like when users stop caring about rails and start caring about products—and why wallets, prediction markets, and AI copilots may define the next consumer cycle.1:47 Prediction Markets 14:49 Meme Coins & NFTs 22:35 Crypto Wallets 33:49 Social & Creator Crypto 46:40 Consumer Crypto 2026Hosted by Chris Davis of MessariSubscribe for more conversations at the intersection of crypto, DePIN, and real-world infra.Follow Messari on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MessariCryptoFollow Unqualified Opinions on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0uG5qpwFg67zTt0VQRTaZ7?si=13163cbebe01415eFollow Unqualified Opinions on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/messaris-unqualified-opinions/id1455666979____This episode and its contents do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Messari, Inc. Hosts and guests may hold cryptocurrencies discussed in this content. This content is meant for informational purposes only. It is not meant to serve as investment advice. You should conduct your own research, and consult an independent financial, tax, or legal advisor before making any investment decisions. Nothing contained in this content is a recommendation or suggestion, directly or indirectly, to buy, sell, make, or hold any investment, loan, commodity, or security, or to undertake any investment or trading strategy with respect to any investment, loan, commodity, security, or any issuer. This content should not be construed as an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any security or commodity. Messari does not guarantee the sequence, accuracy, completeness, or timeliness of any information provided in this content.

Perps are leveling up from a crypto-native niche into a global trading primitive—and equity perps may be the breakout narrative of 2026. In this year-in-review episode of Messari: Unqualified Opinions, Messari Research Analysts Sam and Qorban are joined by Messari alumni Sunny and Kunal to unpack 2025’s biggest DeFi themes: Hyperliquid’s rise, the equity perp inflection, the maturation (and looming skepticism) around prediction markets, how political markets could evolve, and why yield-bearing stablecoins may accelerate as rates compress.This conversation connects directly to Messari’s newly published 2026 Crypto Theses report—covering the structural tailwinds behind perps + equities, stablecoin adoption, onchain market structure, and the next wave of DeFi product-market fit.📘 Read the full (free) Crypto Theses 2026 report: https://messari.io/report/the-crypto-theses-2026Hosted by Sam Ruskin of MessariSubscribe for more conversations at the intersection of crypto, DePIN, and real-world infra.Follow Messari on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MessariCryptoFollow Unqualified Opinions on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0uG5qpwFg67zTt0VQRTaZ7?si=13163cbebe01415eFollow Unqualified Opinions on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/messaris-unqualified-opinions/id1455666979____This episode and its contents do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Messari, Inc. Hosts and guests may hold cryptocurrencies discussed in this content. This content is meant for informational purposes only. It is not meant to serve as investment advice. You should conduct your own research, and consult an independent financial, tax, or legal advisor before making any investment decisions. Nothing contained in this content is a recommendation or suggestion, directly or indirectly, to buy, sell, make, or hold any investment, loan, commodity, or security, or to undertake any investment or trading strategy with respect to any investment, loan, commodity, security, or any issuer. This content should not be construed as an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any security or commodity. Messari does not guarantee the sequence, accuracy, completeness, or timeliness of any information provided in this content.

In this episode, Dylan, Sami and Seth break down why crypto + AI isn’t just a moral counterweight to Big Tech—it’s a faster innovation engine. They explain how BitTensor’s subnet model turns AI development into an open, incentive-driven competition (similar to how Bitcoin relentlessly optimized SHA-256), and why 2025’s biggest shifts—open-source catching up, reinforcement learning’s rise, and massive data center capex—set the stage for decentralized AI to find real product-market fit. The conversation also digs into value accrual, why buybacks can be a trap, and which crypto-AI sectors could surprise people in 2026 (agents, privacy, robotics, and GPU financing).📘 Read the full (free) Crypto Theses 2026 report: https://messari.io/report/the-crypto-theses-20260:00 AI & DePIN Trends10:28 Training Subnets14:07 Investing Approach20:25 Revenue Growth22:35 Token Strategy40:26 Compute & Infra41:59 Future OutlookHosted by Chris Davis of MessariSubscribe for more conversations at the intersection of crypto, DePIN, and real-world infra.Follow Messari on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MessariCryptoFollow Unqualified Opinions on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0uG5qpwFg67zTt0VQRTaZ7?si=13163cbebe01415eFollow Unqualified Opinions on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/messaris-unqualified-opinions/id1455666979____This episode and its contents do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Messari, Inc. Hosts and guests may hold cryptocurrencies discussed in this content. This content is meant for informational purposes only. It is not meant to serve as investment advice. You should conduct your own research, and consult an independent financial, tax, or legal advisor before making any investment decisions. Nothing contained in this content is a recommendation or suggestion, directly or indirectly, to buy, sell, make, or hold any investment, loan, commodity, or security, or to undertake any investment or trading strategy with respect to any investment, loan, commodity, security, or any issuer. This content should not be construed as an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any security or commodity. Messari does not guarantee the sequence, accuracy, completeness, or timeliness of any information provided in this content.

In this episode, Sami and Seth break down why crypto + AI isn’t just a moral counterweight to Big Tech—it’s a faster innovation engine. They explain how BitTensor’s subnet model turns AI development into an open, incentive-driven competition (similar to how Bitcoin relentlessly optimized SHA-256), and why 2025’s biggest shifts—open-source catching up, reinforcement learning’s rise, and massive data center capex—set the stage for decentralized AI to find real product-market fit. The conversation also digs into value accrual, why buybacks can be a trap, and which crypto-AI sectors could surprise people in 2026 (agents, privacy, robotics, and GPU financing).📘 Read the full (free) Crypto Theses 2026 report: https://messari.io/report/the-crypto-theses-20260:00 AI & DePIN Trends10:28 Training Subnet14:07 Investing Approach20:25 Revenue Growth22:35 Token Strategy40:26 Compute & Infra41:59 Future OutlookHosted by Chris Davis of MessariSubscribe for more conversations at the intersection of crypto, DePIN, and real-world infra.Follow Messari on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MessariCryptoFollow Unqualified Opinions on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0uG5qpwFg67zTt0VQRTaZ7?si=13163cbebe01415eFollow Unqualified Opinions on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/messaris-unqualified-opinions/id1455666979____This episode and its contents do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Messari, Inc. Hosts and guests may hold cryptocurrencies discussed in this content. This content is meant for informational purposes only. It is not meant to serve as investment advice. You should conduct your own research, and consult an independent financial, tax, or legal advisor before making any investment decisions. Nothing contained in this content is a recommendation or suggestion, directly or indirectly, to buy, sell, make, or hold any investment, loan, commodity, or security, or to undertake any investment or trading strategy with respect to any investment, loan, commodity, security, or any issuer. This content should not be construed as an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any security or commodity. Messari does not guarantee the sequence, accuracy, completeness, or timeliness of any information provided in this content.

In this episode, Sami and Seth break down why crypto + AI isn’t just a moral counterweight to Big Tech—it’s a faster innovation engine. They explain how BitTensor’s subnet model turns AI development into an open, incentive-driven competition (similar to how Bitcoin relentlessly optimized SHA-256), and why 2025’s biggest shifts—open-source catching up, reinforcement learning’s rise, and massive data center capex—set the stage for decentralized AI to find real product-market fit. The conversation also digs into value accrual, why buybacks can be a trap, and which crypto-AI sectors could surprise people in 2026 (agents, privacy, robotics, and GPU financing).📘 Read the full (free) Crypto Theses 2026 report: https://messari.io/report/the-crypto-theses-20260:00 AI & DePIN Trends10:28 Training Subnets14:07 Investing Approach20:25 Revenue Growth22:35 Token Strategy40:26 Compute & Infra41:59 Future OutlookHosted by Chris Davis of MessariSubscribe for more conversations at the intersection of crypto, DePIN, and real-world infra.Follow Messari on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MessariCryptoFollow Unqualified Opinions on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0uG5qpwFg67zTt0VQRTaZ7?si=13163cbebe01415eFollow Unqualified Opinions on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/messaris-unqualified-opinions/id1455666979____This episode and its contents do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Messari, Inc. Hosts and guests may hold cryptocurrencies discussed in this content. This content is meant for informational purposes only. It is not meant to serve as investment advice. You should conduct your own research, and consult an independent financial, tax, or legal advisor before making any investment decisions. Nothing contained in this content is a recommendation or suggestion, directly or indirectly, to buy, sell, make, or hold any investment, loan, commodity, or security, or to undertake any investment or trading strategy with respect to any investment, loan, commodity, security, or any issuer. This content should not be construed as an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any security or commodity. Messari does not guarantee the sequence, accuracy, completeness, or timeliness of any information provided in this content.