AI Adoption Set to Fuel Cryptocurrency Demand

BlackRock's analysts have identified artificial intelligence (AI) adoption as a key driver for cryptocurrency demand, arguing that AI agents will use crypto assets to settle transactions and create a new source of economic activity. The $16 trillion asset manager points out that agentic AI is already gaining traction, with Meta's Muse triggering a strong stock rally.

The firm believes that the growing use of artificial intelligence will accelerate cryptocurrency adoption as AI agents begin conducting economic activity autonomously. According to BlackRock, improving AI capabilities and rising adoption will trigger a demand for crypto payments. The analysts argue that 'crypto-native blockchain rails' are a perfect match for machine-to-machine transactions given their programmability and functionality for microtransactions.

BlackRock notes that several types of digital assets may support agentic commerce, but is tipping stablecoins to be the sector leader due to their stable unit of account, blockchain settlement, and regulatory clarity. Already, USDC has taken the lead on Coinbase's x402 as a preferred payment means for agentic commerce.

The market for computing power may also become another crypto market, with AI agents becoming active participants in evaluating available resources and making decisions based on task requirements. Agents could query real-time marketplace APIs to compare available capacity by price, performance, latency, location, and hardware specialization.