[Editorial] From "AI" to "Quantum"… The Blockchain Industry Has Become a Naming Playground

In the present year 2026, we are living in an era where the “融合AI与区块链” reaches its peak. However, a calm examination of the industry landscape reveals that rather than being at the forefront of a new industrial revolution, it resembles a grand stage for a “language alchemy” performance. The innovation battlefield, which should be roaring with engines, is now overshadowed by dazzling “buzzwords.”

We typically define innovation as creating something from nothing or disrupting existing inefficiencies with technology. But today, especially in the blockchain market, the most common innovation formula is surprisingly simple and lightweight. That is “rebranding.”

A common example is the “customer service chatbot” in the ordinary IT industry. A technology that ten years ago was confined to the corners of shopping websites, only parroting preset responses. But by 2026, companies are now branding it as a “super personalized AI agent.” Essentially still an old automatic response machine, but once renamed, management cheers with excitement, and budgets are immediately allocated.

The problem is that this “repackaging” trick has transcended the “AI” domain in our blockchain industry and is now more cleverly spreading into the “quantum” field.

Recall the simple “algorithmic trading robot” that was popular during the 2017 bull market. A straightforward program that repeatedly bought and sold within preset price ranges. Today, it has transformed into a “quantum AI asset management protocol based on neural networks.” The moment “quantum” is added, it seems to be packaged as possessing speeds and security that even supercomputers cannot match.

Not only that. Decentralized gambling and gaming applications using simple random number generators are now called “quantum entropy-based fairness proof platforms.” Cloud storage projects from five years ago are dressed in the glamorous guise of “quantum-resistant AI physical infrastructure.” The smart contract code remains the same, only the terminology in the white paper has evolved into more elaborate physics jargon.

What I am truly worried about is that these ornate words are severely distorting the market.

Of course, behind this glamorous packaging, there are engineers quietly advancing zero-knowledge proofs and researching genuine cryptographic defenses against future quantum computer threats. But unfortunately, what excites the market and investors today are not the innovative codes submitted on GitHub.

The needs of foundations and project teams are very clear: refined token symbols, catchy project names, and the phrase “Quantum-AI Powered” prominently displayed on the front page of investment white papers. As long as the charts go up, whether the core technology is just simple “If-else” conditional statements or truly applying “quantum mechanics” seems to matter little—this attitude is spreading widely.

We once believed that AI and quantum computing would fundamentally transform the blockchain ecosystem. But upon closer inspection, these technologies primarily bring marketing innovations rather than engineering breakthroughs. The dominant power of innovation has shifted from the fiercely competitive “development labs” to the “marketing departments” skilled in weaving beautiful words.

Market environments that prioritize superficiality and packaging over substance will inevitably lead to bubbles. When projects choose to take the shortcut of naming rather than the difficult path of technological development, the trust foundation of that ecosystem is doomed to collapse.

In 2026, what TokenPost readers and investors need is “digital literacy” that is not deceived by dazzling terminology. It is essential to strip away the embellishments of “AI” or “quantum” and calmly examine the on-chain data and technological substance behind them. Because true innovation is not in the titles of glamorous white papers but still resides in the developer’s monitor filled with passionate energy.