Stablecoins Set to Power the Rise of Autonomous AI Economies

Galaxy Digital CEO Mike Novogratz has made a bold prediction that AI agents will emerge as the largest users of stablecoins in the near future. In an interview with Bloomberg, Novogratz emphasized that these autonomous AI systems will drive a significant surge in stablecoin transactions, particularly in areas like autonomous shopping and microtransactions. He envisions a future where an AI agent, acting on a user’s preferences, can independently execute purchases and manage financial decisions without requiring manual intervention. Such systems would bypass traditional payment methods like wire transfers or Venmo, instead leveraging stablecoins for fast, low-cost settlements. While Novogratz did not specify a timeline, he suggested that such developments could materialize within five years [2].

The growing adoption of stablecoins across global payments is already gaining traction, with major tech firms and financial institutions exploring their potential. Reports indicate that companies like Apple, X (formerly Twitter), Airbnb, and Google are investigating stablecoins as a way to reduce transaction fees and streamline cross-border payments. Additionally, global retailers like Spar have begun accepting stablecoins and cryptocurrencies in their stores. Shopify’s recent integration of USDC for stablecoin payments and Visa’s expansion to support stablecoins like USDG, PYUSD, and EURC further underline the increasing relevance of stablecoins in mainstream commerce. A mid-May survey of 295 executives from traditional banks, fintech companies, and payment gateways found that 90% are using or exploring stablecoins for operational purposes [2].

The rise of AI agents is not only redefining the user base for stablecoins but also highlighting the need for specialized infrastructure to support autonomous transactions. Anoma’s co-founder, Adrian Brink, argued that AI agents require intent-based blockchain infrastructure, which allows for high-level transaction goals without exposing sensitive details. Meanwhile, decentralized AI agent platforms like Kite AI, which recently raised $18 million in Series A funding, are building the foundational tools for AI-to-AI interactions. The startup, previously known as Zettablock, is developing the Kite AIR platform to provide AI agents with verifiable identities, policy guardrails, and programmable payment rails. These tools are essential for enabling seamless, low-latency transactions and fostering trust in AI-driven economic systems [2].

The practical applications of stablecoins and AI agents are already taking shape in various sectors. For example, Clanker, a decentralized application (DApp) powered by AI, allows users to generate and manage memecoins based on prompts. As of early August, Clanker had facilitated over $34.4 million in fees for its users, demonstrating the viability of AI-driven token creation. Meanwhile, Kite AI aims to bridge stablecoin payments with AI-powered commerce by enabling merchants to be discoverable by AI shopping agents. These agents can autonomously negotiate terms and execute purchases using on-chain stablecoins, reducing reliance on traditional payment systems and minimizing transaction costs. The company plans to expand its integrations across commerce, finance, and data platforms, positioning itself as a key enabler of the agentic web [1].

The broader implications of this shift suggest that stablecoins could play a pivotal role in enabling new economic models, such as microsubscriptions and agent-to-agent billing. Unlike traditional fiat currencies, stablecoins offer near-instant settlement and negligible fees, making them ideal for high-frequency, low-value transactions. This is particularly relevant for AI agents, which operate at machine speed and require frictionless financial infrastructure. Novogratz’s comments align with the growing consensus among fintech experts that stablecoins are poised to become a foundational layer of the digital economy. As AI-driven automation continues to evolve, the synergy between stablecoins and autonomous systems is expected to unlock unprecedented efficiency and scalability in global payments [2].

Source:

[1] Kite Raises $18M to Bridge Stablecoin Payments and ... (https://finance.yahoo.com/news/kite-raises-18m-bridge-stablecoin-120644487.html)

[2] AI Agents to be top stablecoin users: Galaxy's Novogratz (https://cointelegraph.com/news/mike-novogratz-ai-agents-stablecoin-adoption)