AI agents could become a new source of demand for stablecoins as autonomous software begins paying for data, services and computing power, according to BlackRock.

In a research paper published mid-September 2026, the world’s largest asset manager said the growth of agentic artificial intelligence could create demand for digital assets by enabling software to make payments without direct human involvement.

 

BLACKROCK | AI Agents Could Turn Stablecoins Into the Payment Rails of the Machine Economy

 

BlackRock said stablecoins are suited to machine-to-machine payments because they can settle transactions around the clock and support small-value payments that can be difficult to process economically through traditional payment networks.

 

“Several types of digital assets may support agentic commerce, but stablecoins are likely to lead transactional use,” says the paper.

 

REPORT | 80% of AI Agents Choose Bitcoin as a Long-Term Store of Value

For everyday transactions such as #micropayments and cross-border transfers, #stablecoins were actually #chosen more often (53.2%) than Bitcoin (36%).https://t.co/apT6GWnx2r #AIAgents pic.twitter.com/FziHClFoQf

— BitKE (@BitcoinKE) March 6, 2026

The firm estimates that adjusted stablecoin transaction volume exceeded $11 trillion in 2025 while stablecoin market capitalization had risen above $300 billion by September 2026. It cautioned, however, that current AI-agent payment activity remains at an early stage.

The paper also points to computing power as a potential market for digital assets. As demand for AI infrastructure grows, BlackRock said standardized claims on computing capacity could eventually be

  • traded,

  • used as collateral, and

  • settled on blockchain networks.

BlackRock cited estimates that combined revenue from the cloud businesses of Amazon, Microsoft, and Google could reach about $1.1 trillion by 2030 highlighting the scale of the computing market that AI agents could potentially access.

 

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The concept is already being tested through payment protocols such as Coinbase’s x402 which allows software to pay for APIs, data, and other services using stablecoins. But BlackRock’s broader thesis remains forward-looking with autonomous agents still accounting for only a small share of observed machine-payment activity.

The development could shift stablecoins beyond their current role in crypto trading and transfers toward becoming a payment layer for software that increasingly operates, purchases services, and manages resources on its own.

 

 

EXPERT OPINION | Why AI Agents in Commerce Will Use Both Cards and Stablecoins

 

 

 

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