Crypto Designed for AI, Not Humans, According to Alchemy CEO

The current financial system is centered around human constraints, such as geographical location, sleep patterns, and physical presence. However, with the emergence of AI agents as economic participants, this design is becoming a hindrance, according to Nikil Viswanathan, co-founder of Alchemy. Viswanathan suggests that cryptocurrency was built for AI agents, not humans. The traditional financial system is limited by human-centric designs, such as bank operating hours, country-based payments, and credit cards that require physical identity and presence. In contrast, AI agents operate around the clock, are location-independent, and do not require physical presence or identity verification. As AI agents increasingly engage in transactions, they require a system that can facilitate seamless, global, and programmable transactions. According to Viswanathan, cryptocurrency provides the necessary infrastructure for AI agents, offering a global, always-on financial layer where value can be transferred as easily as data. The complexity of cryptocurrency, which has long been a barrier for humans, is actually a strength for machines, as they can operate natively in code. Viswanathan predicts that AI agents will utilize cryptocurrency infrastructure to manage complexity, handle transactions, and optimize capital flows in real-time, ultimately creating a more global, programmable, and autonomous financial system. This system will consist of multiple layers, with traditional finance and crypto at the base, an agent layer operating on top, and a human interface above that.