Bitwise CEO says AI Is ‘Unstoppable freight train’ for Crypto, Haun’s Monica urges caution
Bitwise's CEO sees AI as a massive catalyst for crypto adoption, while Haun Ventures' Monica urges caution about immediate blockchain necessity for agent payments.Summary
At NEARCON 2026, Bitwise CEO Hunter Horsley characterized AI as an "unstoppable freight train," suggesting its rapid development pace invalidates previous crypto adoption models and will disproportionately benefit public blockchains and crypto assets. He argued that autonomous agents will prefer crypto-native tools like stablecoins for confidential transactions. Conversely, Diogo Monica, General Partner at Haun Ventures, expressed skepticism that agentic commerce necessitates new blockchain rails, suggesting superintelligent agents could utilize existing payment systems. However, Monica acknowledged that AI's creation of digital abundance complements crypto's focus on digital scarcity, and crypto's privacy tools could mitigate AI risks. The debate over whether blockchains will become the default infrastructure for autonomous commerce remains open as AI accelerates.
(Source：CoinDesk)