BlackRock Sees Bitcoin as AI's Savings Account

BlackRock has published a research paper arguing that AI agents need 'machine-native money' to function efficiently. The paper suggests that card networks and bank transfers are not suitable for software transactions, as they require human intervention and take too long to settle.

The firm proposes a two-tier money system, where stablecoins handle spending and Bitcoin serves as the savings account. According to BlackRock, this is because AI agents cannot wait a business day for a bank transfer, which makes on-chain assets like stablecoins a natural fit for machine transactions.

BlackRock points out that blockchain transactions settle in near real-time, making them ideal for software that buys data, compute, and services on its own. The firm cites a study by Coinbase's x402 protocol, which revives the dormant HTTP 402 'Payment Required' code to enable agents to pay for data on the spot.

The paper also references a February 2026 study by the Bitcoin Policy Institute (BPI), which found that AI models prefer Bitcoin as their store of value and stablecoins for spending. The BPI study, however, had some caveats, with results varying sharply by vendor and model.