BlackRock said artificial intelligence agents could become a new source of demand for digital assets. According to the firm, stablecoins could take the lead in automated payments, while Bitcoin could serve as a long-term store of value.
“The Machine-Native Economy” report, shared in BlackRock’s October 5 website article, examines the economic relationship between AI and blockchain. The firm highlights how software performing increasingly independent tasks could require programmable payment infrastructure.
Stablecoins could lead AI payments
AI agents are systems capable of completing multiple tasks toward a specific goal with limited human intervention. As these systems purchase data, access software services and rent computing power, they also need ways to make payments.
According to BlackRock, blockchain networks could provide suitable infrastructure for very small transactions repeated throughout the day. Stablecoins’ price stability could make it easier to price services and plan payments.
Figures cited by the firm show that stablecoins’ total circulating market capitalization exceeded $300 billion as of September 2026. Adjusted transaction volume surpassed $11 trillion in 2025.
BlackRock sees this scale as an existing foundation for the AI economy. It also notes that traditional payment systems will remain important in agents’ interactions with businesses and consumers.
A store-of-value scenario for Bitcoin
The report’s Bitcoin discussion draws on research conducted by the Bitcoin Policy Institute. In controlled simulations, AI models preferred stablecoins for everyday payments and Bitcoin for long-term value preservation.
BlackRock explicitly states that the findings reflect simulated model responses rather than observed real-world transactions. The research therefore does not show that agents are currently accumulating Bitcoin.
The firm views these findings as preliminary evidence pointing toward a possible monetary structure in which stablecoins function as a means of payment and Bitcoin serves as a store of value.
Automated payments could increase blockchain usage
The report also highlights Coinbase’s x402 protocol. This infrastructure enables software to initiate payments for data or services and access the requested resource once payment has been verified.
According to BlackRock, increased activity on permissionless blockchain networks could generate demand for network capacity and validator services. However, the extent to which a network’s native cryptoasset benefits will depend on design features such as transaction fees and staking.
Computing power could become a digital asset market
BlackRock also identifies the computing capacity required by AI as a potential market for digital assets. Standardized capacity contracts could allow rights to computing resources to be traded and used in financing arrangements.
In such a market, agents could compare resources by price and performance before purchasing what they need. However, the firm emphasizes that agent-driven payments and liquidity in computing capacity markets remain limited.
