David Shengart, head of Cointelegraph Accelerator, said at a panel during GWDC 2026 Korea that the venture market remains difficult, with roughly 90% of capital going to 10% of companies. He identified three narratives that are heating up: real-world assets, the combination of AI and blockchain, and stablecoins with fintech. Even so, he said founders should not build companies around a single narrative and should instead aim to create businesses that can last 50 years.
On investment criteria, Shengart said he looks first at team resilience and commitment, then at the product. The most important factor, he said, is distribution: who the customer is, who pays, and where the first dollar comes from. He also said AI has shortened product delivery to 48 to 72 hours, making it possible even for people without development experience to build applications. In this cycle, he said, the bet is on faster delivery and stronger distribution channels. Shengart also pointed to prediction markets and controls on agents as areas worth watching, and named tokenized stocks and agent payments as the next catalysts.
GWDC 2026 Korea was held on Sept. 29 and 30, 2026, at the aT Center in Seoul, South Korea. The event was hosted by Web3Labs and co-hosted by Techub News, HypaiLabs and TokenPost.
Speaking during a roundtable discussion, David Shengart, head of Cointelegraph Accelerator, said the broader venture capital environment is difficult, with about 90% of funding going to 10% of companies.
Narratives may be heating up, but founders should not anchor a company to one theme
Shengart said three narratives are gaining momentum: real-world assets, the combination of AI and blockchain, and stablecoins and fintech. Even so, he said founders should build companies with a 50-year lifespan in mind rather than tie themselves to any single narrative.
What he looks for in an investment
On investment standards, Shengart said he first looks at a team’s resilience and level of commitment, then at the product. The most important factor, he said, is distribution: who the customers are, who will pay, and where the first dollar of revenue comes from.
He added that AI has reduced product delivery time to 48 to 72 hours, and that even people without development experience can now build applications. In his view, this cycle favors faster delivery and better distribution channels.
Areas to watch and what could act as the next catalyst
Shengart also said prediction markets and controls on agents are worth watching.
Asked about the next catalyst, he pointed to tokenized stocks and agent payments, adding that machine-to-machine payments will far exceed payments between people.
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