Artificial intelligence (AI) agents are the next “killer” apply case for blockchain and cryptocurrencies, according to Franklin Templeton’s head of digital assets and innovation.
Sandy Kaul said in X post on Wednesday that the AI agent economy will enhance demand for blockchain protocols that support machine-to-machine micropayments, as legacy card networks are unsuitable for agent payments due to high fees and settlement times.
“To capitalize on the growth opportunities of AI today, most investors are buying shares of AI-related companies and related industries. But will the same playbook work for agent-based AI,” Kaul said in the introduction to his over 1,800-word post.
He said blockchain networks like Aptos, Solana and BNB Chain are more suited to the agent economy because they settle transactions in seconds, faster than the one-to-three-business-day settlement time on the Visa network.
In a joint report released last Wednesday, payments giant Visa and investment platform Artemis argued that conventional cards built for low-frequency human-to-human trading are insufficient for AI agents, who need infrastructure with near-zero fees and faster settlements to make agency micropayments commercially viable.
Both Visa’s cryptocurrency division and Stripe-backed Tempo launched AI tools in March. Visa enables AI agents to make same-day payments.
Some machine payment protocols show signs of adoption. Coinbase’s x402 payment protocol has processed $15 million in adjusted volume across more than 109 million adjusted transactions since its launch in May 2025, according to a joint report by Visa and Artemis.
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