David Shengart says founders should build for 50 years, not tie companies to one narrative

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.