The Crypto Industry After Crypto-Natives
Crypto is entering a new era in 2026, and its builders are chasing a new cohort of users.
Crypto began as both a belief system and a builder movement, rooted in the desire to counterbalance centralized money and gatekept protocols. It was a small group of cypherpunks and developers trying to prove that money could become software, and that rules could be enforced by code instead of institutions.
A decade has since passed, and today this is still very much alive and well, but rather than toppling the existing regime, it’s provided a way for us to upgrade it and give people more choice, freedom, and access. A path to go bankless!
From an idealist experiment into something the world is increasingly forced to take seriously: a globally recognized upgrade path for the financial system. Not because everyone suddenly became a decentralization maxi, but because the utility is obvious. Dollars can move 24/7. Settlement can be global and instant. Markets can be composable. Assets can be programmable. And financial infrastructure can be embedded directly into software.
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Jean-Paul Faraj
Jean-Paul Faraj is a longtime crypto enthusiast, and recovering Wells Fargo account holder. He’s worked on community, partnerships, and business development at projects like Unstoppable Games (an onchain space MMO), Braavos Wallet, and now leads BD at Bankless. When he’s not working, you’ll usually find him in the Pacific Northwest with his fiancée and dog, foraging mushrooms, making music, or catching a live show.
