After reading a16z's 17 trends, I am most interested in the prediction market segment. Moving from a transaction-driven approach to an infrastructure-driven one—this judgment resonates with me, indicating that the entire sector is shifting from speculative attributes to application value.

The expansion of prediction markets is indeed a major event in 2026. The collaboration between Coinbase and Kalshi, as well as Robinhood's strategic layout, all send the same signal: trading of real-world events is becoming compliant and scalable. But this also happens to be where the risks lie.

From the perspective of copy trading, a booming prediction market means traders' styles will become more diverse. Some are making long-term allocations to infrastructure-related assets, while others are engaging in short-term event trading within prediction markets, with completely different risk preferences. When choosing whom to follow, I now place more emphasis on whether a strategy can be reliably identified amid this diversification—it's not just about chasing high returns, but about having logical and disciplined traders in emerging fields.

This wave of industry upgrade presents both opportunities and challenges for copy trading players. As market participation increases and new applications emerge, it also requires more precise selection of traders and more flexible position adjustments. Practical experience will be key, and the coming months will be critical.