BlackRock has predicted that artificial intelligence (AI) agents will increasingly use stablecoins to purchase computing power and data, marking a significant trend in the digital asset landscape.

AI and Stablecoins: A New Era of Digital Transactions

According to a recent report from BlackRock, AI is set to become a major driver for the adoption of digital assets. The firm notes that autonomous AI agents will soon begin engaging in transactions, which include procuring services, transferring funds, and acquiring necessary computing resources without human intervention. Stablecoins are expected to take the lead in this development due to their stable value, making them ideal for pricing services. BlackRock highlighted that blockchain networks, which enable continuous payment processes, will facilitate these automated transactions. The report pointed to the Coinbase x402 protocol as an example of how AI agents could access online services, including API calls. Moreover, BlackRock anticipates a future where standardized claims on computing capacity could be traded, driven by the growing demand for AI processing. The firm projects that revenue from major cloud services, provided by companies like Amazon, Microsoft, and Google, could reach around $1.1 trillion by 2030. However, BlackRock cautions that the market for AI agent payments is still in its early stages, lacking established liquid markets for standardized computing contracts. This indicates that while the potential is significant, the infrastructure to support such transactions is not yet fully developed.