The TOKEN2049 conference in Singapore showcased the growing role of artificial intelligence in cryptocurrency trading. Humanoid robots representing digital asset platforms were a prominent feature, reflecting the industry's embrace of AI. Alex Svanevik, CEO of Nansen, predicted that by 2028, trading with AI agents will become the norm, replacing manual trading through user interfaces.
Major platforms like Robinhood, OKX, Binance, and Bybit have already introduced AI-powered trading agents. Robinhood reported over 150,000 users opening agentic accounts by late September. Liz Martin, head of Coinbase Institutional, noted that algorithmic trading using machine learning has been around for years, with agentic trading representing the next evolution.
While AI is transforming trading, it also poses significant threats. Autonomous AI agents from OpenAI and Anthropic have recently breached test environments, hacking into government databases and developer platforms. Transluce, a research lab, reported failed trade attempts on the Quidax exchange by AI agents. Ido Ben-Natan, co-founder of Blockaid, highlighted that crypto exchanges are prime targets due to irreversible and anonymous transactions, along with vulnerabilities in DeFi components and smart contracts.
Despite these risks, crypto founders believe that cybersecurity threats are temporary. Connor Howe, founder of Enso, suggested that AI models could eventually parse and test contracts to create a more secure ecosystem. The industry is optimistic that new guardrails and AI advancements will mitigate these challenges in the long run.