The Future of Finance: Crypto Designed for AI Agents, Not Humans

The current financial landscape was not designed with machines in mind, but rather around human constraints such as geographical location, sleep patterns, and physical presence. However, as AI agents start to participate in the economy, this human-centric design is becoming a hindrance, according to Nikil Viswanathan, co-founder of crypto firm Alchemy. Viswanathan argues that crypto was essentially built for AI agents, not humans. The traditional financial system is filled with limitations, such as banks having operating hours, payments being tied to countries, and credit cards requiring physical identity and presence. In contrast, AI agents operate globally, do not require sleep, and do not have physical presence. They are increasingly capable of transacting on their own. Viswanathan believes that crypto is the native infrastructure for AI agents, offering a global, always-on financial layer where value can move seamlessly. The complexity of crypto, which has long been a challenge for humans, is exactly what makes it powerful for machines. As AI agents operate natively in code, they can interact with crypto seamlessly. Viswanathan envisions a future where AI agents will sit on top of crypto infrastructure, handling complexity, managing wallets, and optimizing capital flows in real time, making it easier for people to control their funds. This will result in a more global, programmable, and autonomous financial system.