BlackRock Sees AI Agents Driving Stablecoin and Blockchain Demand
BlackRock Digital Assets Research suggests that autonomous AI agents could increase demand for stablecoins and blockchain networks as these systems begin to handle high-frequency, machine-initiated payments.
AI agents are emerging as a potential catalyst for digital asset adoption as they begin to interact directly with financial systems and computing resources. According to BlackRock Digital Assets Research, the convergence of AI and blockchain technology is driven by their shared machine-native foundation, where both systems utilize standardized tokens to process information and economic claims.
The report highlights the potential for agentic commerce, where AI agents execute complex, multistep tasks that require continuous payment rails. While traditional systems like cards and ACH remain relevant for human-facing transactions, their settlement and cost structures may be less efficient for the high-frequency, small-scale payments required by machines.
Stablecoins are expected to be central to this shift due to their programmable settlement and stable units of account. As of September 2026, stablecoins had over $300 billion in circulation and recorded more than $11 trillion in adjusted transaction volume throughout 2025. Increased usage of these assets could drive demand for the underlying blockchain networks, though BlackRock notes that the impact on native cryptoasset value will depend on specific network economics.
Protocols such as x402, MCP, and A2A are identified as tools that enable machine-initiated payments and allow agents to coordinate with external services. These programmable instruments, alongside tokenized real-world assets, are positioned to support the collateral and ownership needs of autonomous agents.
BlackRock also points to the potential for a new digital asset market centered on compute. With combined revenue for AWS, Microsoft Intelligent Cloud, and Google Cloud estimated to reach $1.1 trillion by 2030, AI inference could create a need for standardized contracts tied to computing capacity. Such a market would allow users to hedge and trade resources, with agents automatically provisioning capacity based on price, latency, and hardware specs.
The report cautions that these markets are still in their early stages. Challenges remain regarding hardware standardization, regional energy costs, and the design of settlement contracts.
