Wintermute Ventures predicts that by 2026, cryptocurrency will serve as the main clearing layer for the internet economy, with prediction markets poised to replace traditional insurance methods by pricing particular risks that were previously untradeable. This shift will see prediction markets moving beyond consumer products to encompass financial tools that eradicate the need for legacy insurance. Instead of purchasing broad insurance policies for events like hurricanes across regions, individuals can now hedge against specific risks such as particular wind speeds in precise locations and defined time frames. These markets will enable the pricing of individual risks directly, thus eliminating the need for expensive bundled policies. Wintermute also foresees the emergence of new markets that will trade various factors such as perception, sentiment, and collective opinion – elements that were previously unquantifiable. Furthermore, the adoption of stablecoins allows for programmable payments, although there remains a deficiency in the industry's settlement infrastructure.