BlackRock Says AI Agents Could Become a Major Driver of Digital Asset Adoption
BlackRock Links AI Agents to Digital Asset Growth
Asset manager BlackRock has published a paper arguing that artificial intelligence could become one of the biggest forces behind digital asset adoption. According to the paper, titled The Machine-Native Economy, autonomous AI agents — programs that can perform tasks and make decisions on their own — may increasingly need to pay for services, book resources, and buy computing power without waiting for a human to approve each transaction.
BlackRock suggests that digital assets could provide the payment and settlement systems these agents need to act independently.
What the BlackRock Paper Argues
- AI provides "machine-native intelligence" while digital assets can supply the payment infrastructure agents need.
- An AI agent could pay for a data request, purchase computing capacity, or book a service automatically.
- BlackRock cites analyst estimates that revenue from the cloud businesses of Amazon, Microsoft, and Google could reach about $1.1 trillion by 2030.
Stablecoins Seen as the Near-Term Winner
BlackRock identifies stablecoins — digital tokens designed to hold a steady value — as the most likely early beneficiary. Because stablecoins maintain a relatively stable price, they are practical for pricing services between machines. Blockchain networks also allow payments to be processed around the clock, which suits automated systems that do not operate on business hours.
The paper highlights the Coinbase x402 protocol as one emerging method that allows agents to pay for online resources, including API calls. BlackRock also acknowledges that traditional payment networks are beginning to adapt to agent-driven commerce.
Computing Capacity as a Longer-Term Opportunity
Beyond payments, BlackRock points to computing power as a future opportunity. As demand for AI processing grows, standardized claims on computing capacity could eventually be traded, financed, or used as collateral through digital asset infrastructure. However, the firm notes that markets for standardized compute contracts have not yet developed into liquid, active markets.
What Remains Uncertain
BlackRock itself states that agent-based payments remain at an early stage. The firm does not claim that these systems are widely adopted today. Liquid markets for trading standardized compute contracts have yet to emerge, and the timeline for broader adoption is unclear.
Why This Matters
If AI agents do begin transacting at scale, the demand for stablecoins and blockchain-based payment systems could grow significantly. BlackRock's paper frames this as a potential bridge between the rapidly expanding AI industry and the digital asset ecosystem — though the firm presents this as a developing opportunity rather than a present reality.
Sources
Newisty Editorial Team covers technology, cryptocurrency, digital products, online platforms, developer tools and the wider digital economy. Our content is researched from official sources, company announcements, public documentation, market data and other primary or reputable sources. Articles are reviewed and edited before publication for clarity, accuracy and useful context.