Smart contracts, institutional tokenization, and modular infrastructures: D24 Fintech on the trends shaping blockchain – African Business Innovation

Osama Bari, CTO at D24 Fintech, shares his views on how blockchain technology will evolve in 2026

The blockchain market is on track to continue its growth in 2026, with estimates from McKinsey putting it on track to reach $2 trillion by 2030. “2025 was the year we saw blockchain finally become enterprise infrastructure,” says Osama Bari, Chief Technology Officer at D24 Fintech. “But blockchain isn’t single-purpose; there are various ways in which the technology can continue to drive change in the year ahead.”

Below, Bari outlines the five trends set to dominate the discussion in 2026.

1. The modular blockchain era

Bari: “In 2026, we’re entering the modular blockchain era. Platforms like EigenLayer and Celestia are making it possible to separate execution, consensus, and data availability, making blockchain more scalable, interoperable, and cost-efficient.

“Enterprise developers will soon be adopting blockchain SDKs just like they adopted cloud APIs ten years ago. Expect most applications to run on Layer-2 rollups that settle on Ethereum or interoperate across chains through cross-chain messaging frameworks.”

2. Smart contracts

Bari: “Ethereum wallets are evolving into smart accounts with features like gasless transactions, social recovery, and programmable permissions. This makes onboarding millions of non-technical users as simple as logging into a bank app.

“Smart contracts are already operational, but combining AI with account abstraction will make them ubiquitous. Thanks to ERC-4337, users won’t need to understand gas or wallets; they’ll interact through a familiar UX while AI handles contract logic and security audits under the hood.

“In forex trading, for example, a smart contract could auto-execute hedges based on AI signals and real-time price feeds, settling across chains instantly via Layer-2 networks.”

3. Institutional tokenization

Bari: “Banks and funds are issuing tokenized treasuries and bonds that trade 24/7 on-chain, bringing trillions in real-world assets (RWA) to blockchain rails. Where traditional markets close for the weekend, blockchain ensures real-world assets can move anytime, anywhere, and settle instantly.

“The largest barrier to wider adoption remains regulation, however, which is still geographically fragmented. To achieve the full promise of blockchain, the globe needs interoperable rules. Only then would blockchain be able to attain the borderless transparency and trust it was meant for.”

4. AI × Blockchain convergence

Bari: “AI is becoming the decision engine of the blockchain stack. Aside from auditing smart contracts, AI models are also being used to detect anomalies and predict market moves using on-chain data in real time. AI bots can detect arbitrage opportunities across DEXs and execute via smart contracts in seconds with no human intervention needed.

“Elsewhere, AI is playing a role in compliance efforts. Machine-learning algorithms scan on-chain transactions for AML and KYC flags in real time, streamlining what was once a laborious task.”

5. Zero-Knowledge (ZK) and confidential computing

Bari: “Blockchain is also enabling selective transparency, which will soon become commonplace. Users will control what they reveal and what they hide. ZK-proofs and multi-party computation enable user data protection while still being able to comply.

“In practice, this looks like a prospective borrower proving their credit score meets a threshold without actually sharing their personal details.”