Crypto for Advisors: Harnessing AI Agents with Cryptocurrency

The rise of 'agentic finance' is revolutionizing the financial landscape, with AI agents moving beyond advisory roles to execute transactions. According to a recent PwC survey, 79% of companies are adopting AI agents, reflecting a broader shift towards machine-driven economies. Initially, AI systems were used for chatbot services and copiloting roles, but they now actively plan, decide, and act on predefined parameters, including financial transactions. This has led to the formation of 'agentic finance,' where AI agents execute financial actions within predefined rules, such as limits, permissions, and goals. The agentic finance framework consists of three layers: the agentic commerce layer, which focuses on discovery and decision-making; the agentic payments layer, which handles execution; and the asset management layer, which represents the full stack, where the agent can manage portfolios, handle payments, and dynamically optimize financial strategies. However, AI agents lack direct access to global banking rails and are designed to operate 24/7, creating a structural mismatch with traditional financial infrastructure. Crypto is filling this gap by providing a financial layer better suited to machine-driven activity, with stablecoins offering programmable, always-on money, blockchains enabling instant and global settlement, and crypto wallets providing permissionless access to funds. Early implementations of AI agents are already visible, with machine-to-machine payments, autonomous commerce, and trading agents being widely deployed. AI agents are also driving new investable categories and demand for crypto, with companies like Coinbase launching open payments protocols for agent-native transactions. Despite the momentum, there are risks and limitations, including security concerns, regulatory uncertainty, and the need for trust and regulatory clarity. Over the next twelve months, the growth of agent-driven transaction volume, emergence of agent-native wallets and payments protocols, and deeper integration between stablecoins and AI-driven systems will be key signals to watch. In conclusion, AI agents are not a theoretical concept, but are already executing transactions in limited environments, with crypto emerging as the financial backend for machine-driven economies. Advisors should track this trend as a next-wave driver of crypto utility.