OpenLedger core contributor Ram Kumar sees agentic payments as crypto's first AI "killer app," arguing that AI agents will turn to crypto because they cannot open bank accounts or complete know-your-customer checks. “The natural way for an agent to use and transact, at least in the next few years, will be crypto," Kumar told The Block's Kelvin Sparks at the Wyoming Blockchain Symposium 2026.
"An agent cannot create a bank account, it cannot do KYC and stuff," he said. “The easiest access is obviously to use crypto to pay." Kumar said agent-driven trading would be the next major use case for AI in crypto.
He said people already use AI to research tokens and stocks, with agents eventually taking on more of the trading process.
"The next evolution is to use agents to trade," Kumar said. “At least start with, like, very small amount and then increase from there." OpenLedger is also preparing to expand beyond its B2B-focused product to serve consumers, Kumar said.
The platform will allow users to fine-tune AI models and access models available on the platform, while the company plans to add more privacy options.
