BlackRock identifies $5 trillion AI-driven opportunity for stablecoins

BlackRock's latest report, The Machine-Native Economy, suggests that autonomous AI systems could drive a new wave of transaction demand for stablecoins. As AI agents begin to independently purchase data, software, and computing resources, they may shift economic activity away from human-initiated payments toward high-frequency, small-scale transactions. While stablecoins currently trail traditional payment rails like the US Automated Clearing House (ACH) in total volume, BlackRock notes that their programmable nature makes them uniquely suited for machine-to-machine payments.