BlackRock is focusing on the combination of AI and stablecoins! Potential benefits for Ethereum and Solana

▲ Ethereum (ETH), Solana (SOL)/ChatGPT generated image ©

A new outlook suggests that artificial intelligence (AI) may not be a competitor to virtual assets, but rather a new driving force to accelerate the adoption of blockchain and stablecoins. The analysis posits that if an era emerges where AI agents find goods and complete payments without human intervention, 24-hour automated transaction-capable blockchains and stablecoins could rise as core payment infrastructure.

According to The Motley Fool, an investment media outlet, on September 29 (local time), a BlackRock research team recently published a white paper suggesting the possibility that AI and blockchain could develop as complementary technologies rather than competing with each other. While Large Language Models (LLMs) break down human language into tokens to interpret information, blockchain expresses economic value as digital tokens that can be verified and settled by machines. BlackRock views such structural similarities as a potential catalyst for the combination of AI and blockchain.

A particularly noteworthy area is Machine-to-Machine Payments utilizing Agentic AI. Blockchain operates 24/7 and does not require human intervention in the transaction completion process, making it suitable for automated payments by AI agents. Existing payment networks, which require human intervention for account opening, authentication, and approval procedures, and also incur merchant fees, could be inefficient for AI environments processing large volumes of small transactions. However, BlackRock anticipates that existing payment systems will continue to play an important role in connecting AI agents with human-operated businesses and consumers.

BlackRock highlighted the potential for stablecoins to become a primary payment method in AI-driven commerce. This is because stablecoins can leverage blockchain's fast transaction and automation capabilities while pegging their value to currencies or commodities like the US dollar. Research by the Bitcoin Policy Institute also showed that AI models in a controlled simulation environment preferred stablecoins as a daily payment method. BlackRock analyzed that if AI interprets information and directs actions, blockchain can provide machine-readable assets and programmable settlement.

The combination of AI computing resources and digital tokens was also presented as a new possibility. BlackRock believes that if AI computing resources are priced and allocated as digital tokens, they can become an 'Investable Economic Resource'. This would allow for determining the price of computing power, allocating resources, and even enabling related financial services and hedging using digital assets. Accordingly, the analysis suggests that AI has the potential to become a structural catalyst that promotes digital asset adoption in the long term and expands the role of blockchain in an autonomous digital economy.

The Motley Fool pointed out that it is still uncertain whether stablecoins will replace existing payment methods in actual AI payments. However, it suggested that if blockchain and stablecoins establish themselves as the primary payment network for Agentic AI, networks where stablecoin transactions are concentrated, and their related tokens, could benefit. Ethereum (ETH) and Solana (SOL) were specifically mentioned as prime candidates. The media's analysis suggests that while Bitcoin (BTC) has its own investment logic similar to digital gold, for other virtual assets, blockchain networks with high practical utility and technological competitiveness could become even more important.

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