Visa's Vice President and Head of Cryptocurrency Business, Cuy Sheffield, has outlined eight key trends expected to shape the future of cryptocurrency and artificial intelligence (AI) by 2026. Sheffield emphasizes the shift from theoretical feasibility to practical implementation as both technologies mature, highlighting the gap between performance and adoption as a critical area of development. Sheffield notes that cryptocurrencies are transitioning from speculative assets to high-quality technologies, with blockchain advancements making them more viable for mainstream adoption, particularly in settlement and payment systems. Stablecoins are recognized for their utility, offering faster and cheaper transactions than traditional payment channels, thus anchoring cryptocurrencies to practical use rather than speculation. In AI, the focus is shifting from intelligence levels to trustworthiness, with reliability in real-world systems becoming paramount. AI's role is expanding beyond coding, with agent systems enhancing efficiency in various professional tasks. The integration of AI and cryptocurrency is also expected to evolve, with programmable money facilitating new agent payment flows, highlighting the importance of infrastructure development in these fields.