BlackRock links AI agents to potential stablecoin demand

BlackRock published a research paper on September 22 arguing that wider use of artificial intelligence agents could increase demand for stablecoins and other digital assets, while describing the idea as a possibility rather than a forecast. The paper, titled The Machine-Native Economy, says software that transacts autonomously may need payment systems suited to frequent, small transfers between machines. The asset manager argues that stablecoins are likely to lead transactional use for high-frequency machine-to-machine payments. In the paper’s view, existing payment methods can involve human authorization, account setup or settlement delays, while blockchain-based transfers can operate around the clock. BlackRock also notes that conventional merchant fees can make very small payments uneconomic. The paper does not claim that automated stablecoin payments are already widespread. One account of its findings says BlackRock acknowledged that live AI-agent payment volumes remain small. The report’s forward-looking claims use conditional language, and its disclaimer cautions against treating the analysis as a forecast.