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

The current financial system is inherently human-centric, built around geographical constraints, sleep patterns, and physical presence. However, with the emergence of AI agents as key economic actors, this design is becoming a limitation. Alchemy co-founder and CEO Nikil Viswanathan suggests that crypto was, in fact, built with AI agents in mind, not humans. Traditional banking systems operate within specific hours due to human limitations, and payment systems are tied to geographical locations. In contrast, AI agents operate around the clock, are not bound by geography, and do not require physical identity or presence. They transact online, making them inherently global. Viswanathan believes that crypto, with its ability to facilitate seamless, global, and programmable transactions, is better suited for AI agents than traditional finance. The complexity of crypto, including seed phrases and private keys, which can be daunting for humans, is actually a strength when it comes to machines, as they operate natively in code. Viswanathan draws a parallel between the shift from postal services to the internet and the potential shift from human-centric crypto tools to those designed for AI agents. He envisions a future where AI agents manage financial complexity, execute transactions, and optimize capital flows in real-time, making the financial system more autonomous, global, and programmable. This future would be layered, with traditional finance and crypto at the base, an agent layer operating on top, and a human interface above that, similar to how computers operate the internet and humans use it.