Crypto is an inevitable path for the AI economy. Author: Wenser, Odaily Planet Daily. Overnight, Web3 became the background, and Web4 surged in with computing power and market capitalization. OpenClaw soared to the top of GitHub, and AI concept stocks continued their uncontrolled rise. Amidst the anxiety, the AI Agent economy has become an unavoidable theme in the crypto world. Some are deploying "Lobster Agents," using them as assistants, analysts, and partners; others are refreshing their emails with layoff lists from tech giants, seriously considering a question: If AI can make decisions, trade, and execute for me, what will I do? When AI begins making decisions, the definition of an economic agent is rewritten. Humans were once the only species with accounts, credit, and the right to use money; now, machines are applying to enter the arena. One question remains—what money will it use? Banks don't open accounts for AI, credit cards aren't designed for algorithms, and credit systems are designed for humans. For AI, money isn't wealth, but an interface, not a store of value, but a path to execute logic. The answer lies within the riddle: the currency of AI is stablecoins on the blockchain. When AI requires permissionless transactions, instant settlement, and low-cost collaboration globally, stablecoins will no longer be just crypto assets, but have the potential to become the "best dollar API" for the global AI economic system. When AI becomes part of the world economy: Why does AI need Crypto? When Manus was acquired by Meta for over $2 billion, and everyone is adopting their own "OpenClaw lobster," compared to the AI world three years ago, AI agents are permeating every aspect of human life at a speed far beyond imagination. Even more broadly speaking, Alibaba's Qianwen's "free order" promotion during the Chinese New Year can be seen as a classic example of an AI agent. Adults, times have changed. AI is not just a tool; it needs to make decisions and execute, and even become an economic entity. The matter of "making AI spend money" is actually far more complex than most people imagine. Specifically, getting AI to spend money requires answering at least the following four questions: 1. Who are you? 2. What money do you have? 3. How do you pay? 4. Who controls your spending? In the real world and the internet system, each of these problems presents a high practical barrier; however, Crypto's token mechanism, technical protocols, and decentralized, permissionless principles offer AI Agents a different solution—AI has no identity? The ERC-8004 standard provides a complete identity system, including on-chain identity registration, reputation scoring, and verification mechanisms. According to 8004scan.io, the number of registered AI Agents is currently approaching 50,000. AI Agent has no bank account? On-chain wallets are the most convenient and fastest way to save money, and stablecoins are the most liquid "on-chain fiat currency." For AI, the traditional KYC process of banks is useless; with wallets, AI agents can also own their own assets. The DeFi ecosystem we've spent over a decade building may not need it most from humans, but from AI with its strong transaction demands. AI can't make or receive payments? The x402 protocol allows AI to achieve micro-payments in seconds. Paid subscription services that require credit cards or identity information can be easily bypassed by calling the API. Are AI Models Controlled by Tech Giants? AI source code is in the hands of tech giants, APIs are in the hands of tech giants, and computing power is also in the hands of tech giants. The only thing not in the hands of tech giants is the decentralized assets on the blockchain. If these assets are also controlled by tech giants, AI agents are merely advanced SaaS applications in disguise, destined to play a supporting role. However, when AI can hold its own assets, collaborate across blockchains, and operate veribly, it becomes the true "protagonist" in the economic system, which is precisely where Crypto's advantage lies. When the whole world closes the "economic door" to AI agents, only Crypto can open a "monetary window" for them. The main material of this window is stablecoins, represented by USDC. When Stablecoins Become the API for the US Dollar: USDC May Become the Best Currency for AI Agents Currently, whether considering the relaxed regulatory environment following the passage of the US GENIUS Act (Stablecoin Regulatory Act) or the monetary medium in the process of AI gradually transforming the world economic system, USDC is the relatively optimal solution. In terms of transaction volume data, USDC is absolutely the core of the x402 protocol's transaction layer. According to Dune data, since October of last year, as of the time of writing, the x402 protocol's on-chain EVM transaction volume is approximately $25.81 million, of which 98.6% of the traded tokens are USDC, with a transaction volume of approximately $25.45 million; the Solana on-chain transaction volume is approximately $8.21 million, with USDC accounting for approximately $8.19 million, or 99.7%.
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