AI agents could drive next wave of blockchain adoption, fintech leaders say
In brief
- Sandy Kaul (Franklin Templeton) says autonomous AI agents need blockchain for micro-transactions and network fees
- Jeremy Allaire (Circle) frames agentic AI and blockchain as a single technological shift
- OpenAI and Anthropic race to build autonomous systems; Robinhood deployed AI trading tools in May
- Blockchain enables programmable transactions, cryptographic identity, and near-instant settlement for machine-to-machine payments
- Rising AI agent transaction volumes could increase token demand and fund developer incentives
The case for blockchain-powered AI agents
Sandy Kaul, head of digital assets and innovation at Franklin Templeton, argued that blockchain networks and crypto assets could benefit significantly as autonomous AI agents begin transacting with one another. Unlike generative AI, which creates text, images, or code in response to prompts, agentic AI is built to complete tasks with little human input.
The distinction matters. Many transactions between AI agents could be worth only fractions of a cent—paying for an API call, a second of computing power, or access to a dataset. These micro-transactions are economically impractical on traditional payment networks. Public blockchains, by contrast, offer programmable transactions, cryptographic identity, and near-instant settlement, making them well-suited for autonomous machine-to-machine payments.
A unified technological shift
Circle CEO Jeremy Allaire frames the convergence differently. He argues that AI is driving the cost of knowledge work toward zero while blockchain and programmable digital money are doing the same for payments, settlement and coordination. This isn't two separate trends—it's a single technological shift.
As businesses rely more heavily on specialized AI agents, those agents will become economic actors that buy services, hire other agents and exchange value autonomously. Kaul extends this logic further: if autonomous AI agents become a meaningful part of the economy, blockchain networks and cryptocurrencies could emerge as another way to gain exposure to AI's next stage of growth.
Real-world momentum
The thesis isn't purely theoretical. Robinhood launched AI-powered investing tools in May that allowed agents to trade stocks and make purchases for users. CEO Vlad Tenev has said AI agents will eventually rival the capabilities of human traders. Meanwhile, OpenAI and Anthropic are racing to build increasingly autonomous systems that can navigate software and complete complex tasks on their own.
If autonomous agents proliferate, the implications for blockchain infrastructure are substantial. Since agents would need native cryptocurrencies to pay network fees, Kaul argued rising transaction volumes could increase demand for blockchain network tokens while generating more revenue for developer incentives, network security and decentralized applications.
The bet isn't on hype—it's on utility. When machines start paying machines, the networks that enable those payments become infrastructure.
