AI and Blockchain: Will Autonomous Agents Drive Crypto Adoption?

As artificial intelligence accelerates at an unprecedented pace, crypto industry leaders are debating whether AI could finally push blockchain infrastructure into mainstream adoption. During a panel at NEARCON 2026, Bitwise CEO Hunter Horsley described AI as “an unstoppable freight train,” emphasizing that its rapid development is outpacing anything previously seen in the crypto market. According to Horsley, AI is achieving months of progress in just weeks, making traditional crypto adoption models outdated. He argued that projections based on the past six years of blockchain growth may no longer apply in an AI-driven economy.

Horsley believes public blockchains and crypto assets could significantly benefit from AI adoption. As autonomous AI agents increasingly act on behalf of users, he suggested that crypto-native payment solutions like stablecoins may offer practical advantages over traditional financial systems. Rather than granting AI agents access to credit cards, users may prefer funding them with stablecoins on secure, transparent blockchain networks. He also pointed to confidential, on-chain transactions as a potential safeguard for machine-driven commerce.

However, not everyone agrees that AI-powered commerce requires new financial rails. Diogo Monica, general partner at Haun Ventures and co-founder of Anchorage Digital, challenged the assumption that autonomous agents need blockchain-based payments. He argued that highly intelligent AI systems could easily navigate existing payment infrastructure, including credit cards and instant settlement networks. If artificial general intelligence can manage complex tasks, he said, it should be capable of operating within today’s financial systems.

Despite differing views, Monica acknowledged that AI and cryptocurrency may be complementary technologies. While AI creates digital abundance, blockchain technology enforces digital scarcity, privacy, and verification. These features could help address risks associated with AI-driven automation.

As AI innovation accelerates, the question remains whether blockchain technology will become the default infrastructure for autonomous commerce. What is clear is that the intersection of AI and crypto is shaping the future of digital finance.