NEAR Protocol, Ocean Protocol, and Theta Network are emerging as key players in the intersection of blockchain and artificial intelligence, with each offering unique capabilities poised to drive growth in 2026. NEAR Protocol enhances scalable AI applications through its Nightshade sharding and secure architecture, enabling autonomous agents to operate independently while safeguarding user data. This design supports decentralized applications with lower storage costs and faster transaction processing, making it attractive for developers handling large datasets. Ocean Protocol focuses on data ownership and AI access, allowing secure sharing and monetization of tokenized datasets. Its compute-to-data technology enables AI models to analyze data without exposing raw files, ensuring privacy. Ocean's collaboration with the Artificial Superintelligence Alliance strengthens its position in the AI ecosystem, with price projections indicating steady growth. Theta Network targets media, video streaming, and AI computing with a dual system design that supports decentralized video delivery and AI workloads. Backed by major investors like Sony and Sierra Ventures, Theta provides scalable infrastructure for media platforms and AI applications. Together, NEAR, OCEAN, and THETA are well-positioned to leverage blockchain and AI for significant advancements by 2026.