Agentic AI Could Fuel Blockchain’s Next $5 Trillion Trade

Franklin Templeton Calls Agentic AI Blockchain's Killer Use Case

Franklin Templeton's Sandy Kaul, head of digital assets and innovation at the $2 trillion asset manager, argued this week that autonomous AI agents beginning to transact independently could make blockchain networks and crypto assets the next major AI investment trade. In a widely shared post published Wednesday, July 16, 2026, Kaul said legacy card networks are poorly suited for machine-to-machine micropayments due to high fees and multi-day settlement times, positioning blockchains such as Aptos, Solana, and BNB Chain as faster, cheaper alternatives as agentic commerce scales toward an estimated $3 trillion to $5 trillion by 2030.

Circle's Allaire Sees AI Agents and Blockchain Converging

Circle CEO Jeremy Allaire echoed the thesis in his ongoing essay series, “The Agentic Economy,” describing AI as an operating system for intelligence and blockchain as an operating system for the economy. Allaire argued the two technologies are converging into a single system where software can transact, coordinate, and exchange value autonomously, with stablecoins emerging as the preferred medium for machine-to-machine commerce.

Machine-to-Machine Payments Drive Agentic AI Crypto Thesis

Both executives suggested software pricing could shift from monthly subscriptions toward pay-per-task models as AI agents become both buyers and sellers of digital services, potentially reshaping how companies structure operations and revenue.

Investors currently concentrated in AI chipmakers and cloud infrastructure may need to broaden exposure toward blockchain networks capable of settling agentic payments at scale.

As agentic commerce adoption grows, blockchain protocols optimized for speed and low-cost settlement could see rising institutional demand tied directly to AI infrastructure spending.

Kaul said the traditional playbook of buying AI-aligned equities may not capture agentic AI's full opportunity, suggesting cryptocurrencies could become a distinct channel for AI-driven growth.