BlackRock's report highlights the potential of AI to boost cryptocurrency demand, especially for stablecoins, as autonomous systems begin to make transactions.
BlackRock's Insights on AI and Crypto
BlackRock has released a report indicating that the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) will significantly impact the demand for cryptocurrencies, particularly stablecoins, which are seen as ideal for facilitating real-time payments required by AI agents.
The report, titled "The Machine-Native Economy," emphasizes that AI agents, capable of executing purchases autonomously, will drive this trend. BlackRock's Digital Assets Research team, led by Will Su and Robert Mitchnick, argues that stablecoins, which are pegged to stable assets like the U.S. dollar, offer a reliable and efficient payment method compared to traditional banking systems.
“As agents become more capable and persistent, standardized claims on compute capacity could become a significant digital asset use case for financing and programmable settlement,” the report states.
Stablecoin Market Potential
According to BlackRock, the transaction volume for stablecoins is projected to surpass $11 trillion by 2025, aligning closely with the annual transaction volumes of major payment networks such as Visa and Mastercard. This is a substantial increase from the current figures, despite traditional bank transfers still processing a staggering $93 trillion annually. The report points out that stablecoin transaction volume has been growing at an impressive rate of approximately 80% per year since 2020, in contrast to only 8.5% for conventional bank transfers.
BlackRock suggests that the emergence of AI-driven payments will likely create a higher demand for blockchain technology and programmable payment infrastructure, allowing stablecoins to operate as effective instruments for transactions and settlements.
Current Infrastructure and Future Outlook
Some infrastructure to support these transactions is already in place. The x402 protocol from Coinbase allows for payments to be made for data feeds or API calls without requiring human intervention, which aligns with the needs of AI agents. Major companies like Amazon and Google are also developing systems to integrate stablecoin payments within their AI services.
However, a recent analysis by TRM Labs found that AI agents currently account for only a small fraction (between 0.6% to 7.5%) of transactions processed via the x402 protocol, indicating that while the technology is advancing, real-world applications remain limited.
BlackRock acknowledges that while widespread adoption of AI agents in payment systems may take time, the groundwork for future demand is being laid. The firm predicts that by September 2026, the market cap of stablecoins will exceed $300 billion, with AI agents poised to lead the next wave of growth as they begin to autonomously manage their expenses.
