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

The existing financial system was created with human constraints in mind, such as geographical boundaries, sleep patterns, and physical presence. However, with AI agents increasingly participating in economic activities, this human-centric design is becoming a hindrance, according to Nikil Viswanathan, co-founder of Alchemy. Viswanathan argues that cryptocurrency was essentially built for AI agents, not humans. The current financial system has limitations, such as banking hours and geographical constraints, which are not applicable to AI agents that operate around the clock and are not bound by physical locations. As AI agents begin to transact and participate in economic activities, they require a system that is global, always-on, and programmable. According to Viswanathan, cryptocurrency provides exactly that, offering a global financial layer where value can be transferred seamlessly, just like data. The complexity of cryptocurrency, which has long been a challenge for humans, is actually a strength when it comes to AI agents, as they operate natively in code and can interact directly with the underlying architecture. Viswanathan believes that the future of finance will be layered, with traditional finance and cryptocurrency at the base, an agent layer operating on top, and a human interface above that. In this system, AI agents will handle complexity, manage wallets, execute transactions, and optimize capital flows in real-time, making it easier for people to control their funds.