The current financial landscape is witnessing a significant shift with the emergence of AI agents that are capable of executing transactions, thus giving rise to 'agentic finance'. This concept involves AI systems that can plan, decide, and act on predefined parameters set by humans, including financial transactions, marking a transition from advisory roles to execution roles.
A recent survey by PwC found that 79% of over 300 companies are adopting AI agents, reflecting the rapid growth and potential of this technology. Agentic finance operates in three layers: the agentic commerce layer for discovery and decision-making, the agentic payments layer for execution, and the asset management layer for managing portfolios and optimizing financial strategies. However, AI agents face structural challenges in traditional financial infrastructure, lacking direct access to global banking rails and requiring 24/7 operation.
This is where crypto comes into play, offering programmable money, instant settlement, and permissionless access to funds, making it an ideal financial layer for machine-driven activity. Early implementations of AI agents are visible in machine-to-machine payments, autonomous commerce, and crypto-native environments for trading and portfolio management. Beyond these use cases, AI agents are driving demand for crypto and new investable categories.
Despite the momentum, there are risks and limitations, including security concerns, regulatory scrutiny, and the need for trust and clarity. Over the next twelve months, the growth of agent-driven transactions, emergence of agent-native wallets, and regulatory clarity will shape the adoption of this technology. In conclusion, AI agents are executing transactions and crypto is increasingly becoming the financial backend for autonomous economies, making it essential for advisors to track this trend as a driver of crypto utility.