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

The current financial system was not designed with machines in mind, but rather around human limitations such as geography, 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 the crypto firm Alchemy. Viswanathan suggests that cryptocurrency was, in fact, built for AI agents, not humans. The traditional financial system is characterized by operating hours, country-specific payments, and credit cards that require physical identity and presence, all of which are limitations that do not apply to AI agents. These agents operate around the clock, are not bound by geographical locations, and do not require physical presence or identity verification. As a result, they are capable of conducting transactions online, globally, and seamlessly. According to Viswanathan, this is where cryptocurrency comes into play, offering a native infrastructure for a new type of economic actor. Alchemy, as a crypto infrastructure company, provides the necessary tools and services for developers to build blockchain-based applications, enabling companies to create and scale on-chain products without having to manage the complexity of blockchain systems themselves. The traditional finance system is built on the assumption of friction, with cross-border payments involving currency exchanges, intermediaries, delays, and fees. However, for AI agents, this friction is a significant obstacle. They require seamless, programmable, and direct control over money via code, without relying on physical infrastructure or identity. Cryptocurrency provides exactly that - a global, always-on financial layer where value can move as easily as data. Viswanathan notes that the complexity of cryptocurrency, including seed phrases, private keys, and interacting with code, is actually a strength when it comes to machines. AI agents operate natively in code and can read zeros and ones, making cryptocurrency a natural fit. The shift from crypto tools being built for humans to being used by AI agents 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. Looking ahead, Viswanathan envisions a future where AI agents will sit on top of crypto infrastructure, handling complexity automatically, managing wallets, executing transactions, and optimizing capital flows in real-time. This will enable people to control their funds more easily and create a more global, programmable, and autonomous financial system. Viswanathan sees a layered future, with traditional finance and crypto as the base, an agent layer operating on top, and a human interface above that. Ultimately, agents will operate finance, just as computers operate the internet, and humans will use it.