For years, the crypto industry’s main challenge has been attracting users beyond traders. Now, some of the industry’s biggest companies believe they’ve found a new avenue in AI agents.
While speculation still drives much of crypto’s business, many companies are working to create a second growth engine by transforming AI agents into users of crypto wallets, stablecoins, and payment networks.
This summer, Kraken announced it is redesigning its app to enable AI agents to monitor markets continuously, spot investment opportunities, and execute trades in real time. Coinbase introduced a new tool allowing AI agents like ChatGPT or Claude to carry out crypto trades through natural language commands.
Additionally, in May, Circle revealed a strategic expansion with its proprietary Arc blockchain, designed to serve as infrastructure for an agentic economy where AI agents take on more operational and contractual tasks traditionally handled by humans.
This shift represents a significant change for an industry that has spent years trying to position crypto as a superior form of money or a more efficient way to transfer it.
AI agents might be the first users who inherently need what crypto offers, as they operate online by nature.
Digital wallets, programmable money, and always-on payment networks become essential tools rather than just behavioral adaptations.
Source (CNBC)
