As AI takes center stage, Web3 and RWA are quietly retreating to the infrastructure layer.

(Image caption) Panoramic view of CES 2026 (Las Vegas Convention Center). As a global trendsetter for consumer technology, the layout and flow of CES exhibition halls often reflect the shift in the focus of the industry narrative more than individual products. In 2026, AI and robotics occupied the core exhibition area, while Web3 was mostly distributed in the infrastructure and fintech-related sectors.

 

 

I. Introduction | Why the "Absence of Web3" is Worth Paying Attention To

 

CES has always been regarded as a bellwether for global consumer technology trends.

It not only showcases products, but also reflects which technologies are becoming part of the mainstream narrative.

 

Therefore, one of the most intriguing phenomena at CES 2026 is:

Web3 and blockchain have not become the focus of attention.

 

 

The problem is—

Does this truly signify the decline of Web3?

Or does it signify a deeper role shift in the future?

 

In the history of science and technology, technologies that truly enter the "institutional level" often temporarily leave the spotlight.

CES 2026 provides a window into this turning point.

 

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II. Main Stage Reality | AI Takes Over the Narrative

 

From keynote speeches and exhibition hall setup to media coverage, the core narrative of this year's CES remained highly consistent:

 

(Image caption) CES 2026: AI and smart manufacturing became the most crowded exhibition themes.

From industrial AI and smart warehousing to robotics applications, AI-related exhibition areas became the narrative center of CES 2026, occupying the main pages of media reports and attracting the attention of visitors.

 

 

AI has almost taken over all the main stage resources.

From consumer devices to industrial applications, from physical robots to AI agents,

AI has become the only technology that is repeatedly discussed as the main theme.

 

In contrast, the emergence of blockchain and Web3 has changed significantly:

 

This is not accidental, but rather the result of a shift in narrative power.

 

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III. Interpreting Official Signals | "Recognized, but not hyped"

 

It is worth noting that Web3 has not disappeared from the official CES architecture.

 

Instead, it is incorporated in a **de-hyped** manner:

"Competing for the Future of Digital Assets" is positioned as

The issue is about economic competitiveness and technological sovereignty, not crypto craze.

However, its scale is significantly smaller than that of AI and consumer technology.

 

This represents a significant shift:

 

Web3 no longer needs to be "proven to exist".

Instead, it is assumed to be part of the fintech discussion.

 

Shifting from the central topic to a discussion of the system.

This is often a typical characteristic of the technology maturity stage.

 

(Image caption) AI robot installations exhibited at CES 2026. Robots and physical AI became the most symbolic technological images at this year's CES, highlighting that the narrative of consumer technology is shifting entirely towards "visible, interactive, and instantly understandable" artificial intelligence applications.

 

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IV. Industry Maturity Assessment | Web3 is Doing "Unsexy but Necessary Work"

 

A "small booth" at CES does not equate to a diminished influence.

 

In fact, all infrastructure technologies experience a period of low visibility during their maturity phase:

 

Web3's position at CES 2026 perfectly aligns with this pattern.

 

What it is doing is not market education.

It is, rather, infrastructure engineering.

 

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V. RWA's True Place: Not at the Exhibition Hall, but in the Books and Regulations

 

There was no large forum dedicated to RWA at CES 2026.

But this does not mean that RWA has stagnated.

 

Conversely, RWA's momentum is rapidly accumulating outside the exhibition hall:

The global RWA tokenization market has exceeded $36 billion.

Turning point:

 

These issues are essentially financial pipeline engineering (plumbing).

Rather than the consumer-oriented displays that CES excels at presenting.

 

(Image caption) CES 2026 official Web3/Tokenization agenda page. Web3 and blockchain were not the main focus of this year's CES, but were incorporated into the discussion of financial technology and institutions in the form of "Tokenization" and "Digital Assets Infrastructure," showing a clear trend of de-hyping.

 

 

RWA is not a technology created for trade shows.

It exists for ledgers, regulations, and capital markets.

 

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VI. GFM's Judgment | This is not a decline, but rather "de-spectacularization"

 

From the perspective of GFM's "Web3 & RWA",

CES 2026 did not present the decline of Web3, but rather a more significant shift:

 

Web3 is exiting the consumer narrative.

We are entering a long-term construction phase for financial infrastructure.

 

This is a process of "de-spectacularization".

 

No slogans, no hype,

Only systems, processes, and integration.

 

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VII. As the spotlight shifts, infrastructure is being laid.

 

CES 2026 clearly presented a structural picture:

 

(Image caption) Metaphorical diagram of the roles of RWA and Tokenization. RWA was not created for consumer display, but exists within ledgers, regulations, custody, and settlement systems. Its true battlefield is not on the exhibition stage, but at the level of financial infrastructure and institutional design.

 

 

The next time Web3 returns to the mainstream,

It won't rely on slogans or conceptual packaging.

Rather, it depends on whether it has achieved deep integration with AI, hardware, and the financial system.

 

When that moment arrives

Web3 will no longer need to be "introduced".

Because it has become part of the system.

 

GFM reporter Dora Tang provides on-site coverage of CES 2026.