Alchemy CEO: Crypto Was Designed for AI Agents, Not Humans

The conventional financial system was created with human limitations in mind, such as geographical constraints, sleep patterns, and physical presence. However, as AI agents start to participate in the economy, this human-centric design is becoming a hindrance. Alchemy co-founder Nikil Viswanathan argues that cryptocurrency was, in fact, designed for AI agents rather than humans. The traditional banking system has restrictions such as operating hours, geographical boundaries, and physical identity requirements, which are not applicable to AI agents. These agents operate around the clock, have no physical presence, and do not require traditional payment methods. As a result, they need a financial system that is global, always-on, and programmable. Viswanathan believes that cryptocurrency provides exactly that, enabling seamless transactions across borders and at any time. The complexity of cryptocurrency, which has long been a challenge for humans, is actually a strength when it comes to AI agents. Unlike humans, AI agents operate natively in code and can interact directly with cryptocurrency's underlying architecture. This shift towards AI agents using cryptocurrency is comparable to the transition from the postal system to the internet. Just as email is more powerful than the postal system because it is designed for computers, cryptocurrency is more suitable for AI agents. In the future, Viswanathan envisions a financial system where AI agents sit on top of cryptocurrency infrastructure, handling complexity, managing wallets, and optimizing capital flows in real-time. This would result in a more global, programmable, and autonomous financial system, with AI agents operating finance and humans using it.