Lightspeed What's Next For Crypto In 2026 | Kairos Research
Dec 30, 2025
Ian Unsworth and Teddy from Kairos Research share their insights on the future of crypto as they explore validator operations and the nuances of Solana's inflation dynamics. They discuss the challenges and strategies in managing token buybacks and the impacts of decentralized finance products. Expect exciting developments in 2026 with Solana's perps and innovative tokenized real-world assets. Both guests break down the relevance of product durability and debate whether current validator counts truly reflect security in the blockchain space.
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Marginal Differences Between Validator Clients
- Solana validator clients currently differ only marginally in block-production performance.
- Judo BAM and plugins could enable unique block-building and new validator dynamics.
Prioritize Stake Over Client Hype
- Optimize validator choice primarily for stake acquisition and long-term economics.
- Run zero-commission or join large stake pools if that increases your total stake and block opportunities.
Inflation Shapes Validator Behavior
- Many proof-of-stake networks share similar validator dynamics driven by inflation incentives.
- Overpaying inflation attracts validators who then dump tokens, masking true network health.