As we head into 2026, the AI landscape is shifting dramatically. The era of endless hype and vaporware is cooling down—what we're seeing now is a pivot toward actual utility and measurable results. Companies are moving past the "AI for AI's sake" phase and demanding real ROI. This matters for crypto and Web3 because AI infrastructure, oracle networks, and on-chain intelligence are becoming genuine use cases rather than buzzwords. The market will separate genuine innovation from speculation, rewarding projects solving real problems. For investors, this transition means scrutinizing fundamentals harder than ever. The pragmatic AI winners will emerge by 2026, and the ones delivering tangible value—not just tokenomics—will define the next era.