The expansion of autonomous artificial intelligence (AI) agents is expected to drive a surge in demand for programmable payment infrastructure and blockchain-based assets. BlackRock’s latest research report, titled The Machine-Native Economy, outlines how machines will transact with one another. A quartet of researchers, Will Su, Robert Mitchnick, Jay Jacobs, and William Helm, authored the analysis.
Many institutional investors have yet to realize the potential convergence of autonomous agents and crypto assets as a structural catalyst for Web3 adoption. The value-settlement infrastructure offered by blockchain is projected to become the core foundation of the artificial intelligence economy.
Traditional Banks Are Too Slow for Machines
Conventional banking systems are considered ill-equipped to serve machine-to-machine transactions. The BlackRock report highlights the banking sector’s shortcomings in processing high-frequency, sub-cent microtransactions. When two AI agents need to pay each other for data exchanges, traditional banking systems only slow down the process.
The bottlenecks begin with mandatory manual identity verification. These legal compliance procedures burden autonomous transactions that require rapid execution. Furthermore, merchant fees from traditional payment rails make microtransactions economically unviable.
BlackRock projects a shift in settlement instruments toward digital assets. Stablecoins, native cryptocurrencies, and tokenized real-world assets (RWAs) are expected to form the primary rails of the machine economy. Unlike banks, blockchain networks enable AI agents to transfer value 24/7 without manual verification hurdles.
Tokenizing Compute Power as Collateral
The research paper also explores opportunities beyond pure payments. The research team sees significant potential in tokenizing compute capacity, or the compute market. Claims on AI computing power could eventually be traded openly on the market through tokenized mechanisms on the blockchain.
Through tokenization, compute power gains the added utility of serving as liquid collateral. Institutions and AI agents would not only rent server capacity, but could also directly pledge their compute claims in various decentralized finance transactions.
The shift toward a machine-driven economy demands equally autonomous payment infrastructure. The ability of agents to transfer value cross-border without operational time limits will reshape low-value transactions in the future.
Reported by Cointelegraph.
Read also: What Is DeFi (Decentralized Finance)?
Disclaimer: This article is for informational and educational purposes only, not financial advice. Cryptocurrency assets are highly volatile and carry significant risk. Always do your own research (DYOR) and never invest more than you can afford to lose.
