When one of the world’s largest asset managers starts calling something a “killer use case,” the market tends to pay attention. Sandy Kaul, head of digital assets and innovation at Franklin Templeton, published a LinkedIn post titled “Agentic AI – the killer use case for blockchain & crypto,” arguing that autonomous software agents will create massive demand for blockchain infrastructure.
The core thesis is deceptively simple. AI agents that operate independently, making purchases, hiring services, and exchanging value without human intervention, need a payment system built for machines. Traditional finance wasn’t designed for that.
Why traditional payments don’t work for AI agents
Kaul’s argument centers on the need for low-cost, programmable payment systems that can handle micropayments between autonomous agents. Public blockchains, Kaul contends, already offer the exact features this new economy requires: rapid transaction settlement, cryptographic identity verification, and native digital assets that can be programmed to move without human authorization.
Franklin Templeton manages approximately $1.7 trillion in assets and has been steadily building out its blockchain strategy throughout 2025 and 2026, including tokenized money market funds and institutional partnerships with firms like MoonPay and Ondo Finance.
