BlackRock Sees Stablecoin Payments Boosting Ethereum Demand

The price of Ethereum (ETH) remains in a choppy short-term range after its recent rally, but one major development could drive demand for the token. According to BlackRock's latest research, AI stablecoin payments could be a key driver of ETH demand.

BlackRock frames stablecoins as the likely settlement rail for 'agentic commerce,' or AI systems transacting autonomously. The firm names Ethereum and Circle's Arc as candidate venues for these transactions. This shift in tone from BlackRock is significant, as it treats AI-to-AI payments as an investable thesis rather than a novelty.

Ethereum's recent strength has not disappeared despite Thursday's pullback, with the token still up 8.3% over 14 days and 7.1% over 30 days. The market cap of Ethereum sits near $329 billion, while 24-hour trading volume stands at $16.71 billion.

For now, ETH is holding support around the $2,542, $2,550 zone, which remains an important area to watch. A sustained break above $2,672 could shift attention toward $2,805 and potentially even higher targets like $3,000 or more.