Alchemy CEO Claims Crypto Was Designed for AI, Not Humans

The conventional financial system was not designed with machines in mind, but rather around human constraints such as geographical location, sleep patterns, and physical presence. However, with AI agents emerging as key economic players, this human-centric design is becoming a significant bottleneck, according to Nikil Viswanathan, co-founder of the crypto firm Alchemy. Viswanathan argues that cryptocurrency was, in fact, built for AI agents rather than humans. The disparity between traditional finance and AI agents is evident everywhere, from banks' operating hours to credit cards' reliance on physical identity and presence. In contrast, AI agents operate around the clock, are not bound by geographical locations, and do not require physical interactions. As AI agents increasingly engage in transactions, the need for a more compatible financial system becomes apparent. Viswanathan believes that crypto offers the necessary infrastructure for AI agents, providing a global, always-on financial layer where value can be transferred as easily as data. The complexities that have historically made crypto challenging for humans, such as seed phrases and private keys, are actually strengths when it comes to machine-based transactions. According to Viswanathan, the shift towards AI-driven finance will be similar to the transition from the postal system to the internet, with crypto serving as the foundation for a more efficient and autonomous financial system. In the future, AI agents will manage complexity, handle transactions, and optimize capital flows in real-time, allowing humans to control their funds more easily. This will result in a more global, programmable, and autonomous financial system, with AI agents operating at the base, a human interface above, and traditional finance and crypto serving as the foundation.