BlackRock Backs Two-Tier Crypto System for AI Payments
BlackRock has identified a problem in traditional money systems that could impact AI agents' ability to make transactions. The world's largest asset manager says cards and bank transfers are inadequate for machines, which need to transact instantly without human intervention.
In a new research paper, BlackRock proposes a two-tier crypto system: stablecoins for everyday spending and Bitcoin as the store of value for AI agents' savings. This solution is based on a study that found 36 AI models preferred Bitcoin for storing value (79.1% of the time) and stablecoins for spending (53.2% of the time).
The paper, titled 'The Machine-Native Economy,' also points to the growth of stablecoin transactions, which reached $11 trillion in 2025, roughly matching Visa's volume that year. BlackRock notes that this is still a small market compared to traditional finance but has institutional weight behind it.