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

The current financial system is tailored to human constraints such as geographical location, sleep patterns, and physical presence. However, with the emergence of AI agents as economic participants, this human-centric design is becoming a hindrance, according to Nikil Viswanathan, co-founder of crypto firm Alchemy. "Crypto was built for AI agents, not humans," he stated. The traditional financial system is based on human needs, with banks operating during specific hours and payments tied to countries. In contrast, AI agents do not require sleep, physical locations, or traditional identity verification. They can transact globally and online, making crypto the native infrastructure for these new economic actors. Alchemy, a crypto infrastructure company, provides the necessary tools for developers to build blockchain-based applications. Viswanathan argues that traditional finance is built for humans, with inherent friction, whereas crypto offers a global, always-on financial layer where value can move seamlessly. The complexity of crypto, which has long been a challenge for humans, is exactly what makes it powerful for machines. As AI agents operate natively in code, crypto's underlying architecture is well-suited for them. Viswanathan envisions a future where AI agents will sit on top of crypto infrastructure, handling complexity, managing wallets, and optimizing capital flows in real-time, allowing people to control their funds more easily. This will result in a more global, programmable, and autonomous financial system.