As artificial intelligence (AI) reshapes the global economy, analysts at research and brokerage firm Bernstein argue that AI-driven cryptocurrency microtransactions are necessary to prevent financial bottlenecks.
In a note to clients today, analyst Gautam Chhugani highlighted the limitations of the current global financial system, which relies on jurisdiction-specific networks like SWIFT and companies like Mastercard and Visa for transactions.
These systems require identity verification for individuals and businesses, which poses a hurdle for fully autonomous AI agents that lack human credentials.
While AI agents could use human-authorized bank accounts or credit cards, Chhugani believes this would limit the potential for a truly autonomous AI economy.
The fundamental problem, according to Chhugani, is the inefficiency of traditional financial systems in handling micropayments (transactions as small as fractions of a cent), which will be vital for AI agents that consume data or digital content.
To support the demands of an AI-driven economy, the financial system must evolve to enable seamless, low-cost microtransactions. This is where cryptocurrency gains importance, according to Chhugani.
Crypto offers near-instant settlement for global, permissionless digital payments and microtransactions, which aligns with the needs of machine-to-machine payments in an AI economy. AI agents can use crypto wallets for transactions, bypassing traditional banking systems.
Chhugani also noted advances in zero-knowledge proof technology, which can tie AI agent identities to human or business owners, and improvements in blockchain scaling through Layer 2 solutions that make micropayments more cost-effective.
*This is not investment advice.
