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

The current financial system was never intended for machine-based transactions. It is rooted in human limitations, including geographical constraints, sleep patterns, paperwork, and physical presence. However, as AI agents increasingly participate in economic activities, this human-centric design is becoming a hindrance, according to Nikil Viswanathan, co-founder of the crypto firm Alchemy. Viswanathan suggests that cryptocurrency was, in fact, built for AI agents rather than humans. The existing financial infrastructure is tailored to human needs, with banks operating on human schedules, payments tied to geographical locations, and credit cards requiring physical identification. In contrast, AI agents operate without sleep, physical presence, or geographical constraints, and they are increasingly capable of conducting transactions independently. According to Viswanathan, all transactions conducted by AI agents are online and inherently global. This is where cryptocurrency begins to emerge as the native infrastructure for a new type of economic actor, rather than an alternative financial system. Alchemy, as a crypto infrastructure company, provides developers with the necessary tools and services to build blockchain-based applications, including APIs, node infrastructure, and data services. Traditional finance is built on the assumption of friction, with cross-border payments involving currency exchanges, intermediaries, delays, and fees. While this is acceptable for humans, it is impractical for AI agents, which require seamless, programmable, and direct control over transactions without relying on physical infrastructure or identity. Cryptocurrency offers exactly that - a global, always-on financial layer where value can be transferred as easily as data. The complexity of cryptocurrency, including seed phrases, private keys, and code interaction, which has long been a challenge for humans, is actually a strength when it comes to machine-based transactions. AI agents operate natively in code, and cryptocurrency's underlying architecture is better suited for machines. Viswanathan compares the shift from human-centric crypto tools to AI-centric tools to the transition from the postal system to the internet. Just as email revolutionized communication by being designed for computers, cryptocurrency is similarly powerful because it is designed for machines. Looking ahead, Viswanathan envisions a future where AI agents will utilize crypto infrastructure to handle complexity, manage wallets, execute transactions, and optimize capital flows in real-time, making it easier for people to control their funds. This would result in a more global, programmable, and autonomous financial system, with a layered structure consisting of traditional finance and crypto at the base, an agent layer operating on top, and a human interface above that.