TLDR
- Hunter Horsley, CEO of Bitwise, described AI as an “unstoppable freight train” driving crypto toward mainstream adoption during NEARCON 2026
- Horsley’s thesis centers on stablecoins and blockchain networks serving as the preferred payment infrastructure for autonomous AI agents
- Diogo Monica from Haun Ventures challenged this view, suggesting advanced AI systems could easily navigate traditional payment methods
- The panel found common ground on AI and crypto being complementary forces — AI generating digital abundance while crypto establishes digital scarcity
- Late February 2026 saw Bitcoin and Ethereum gains despite the Fear & Greed Index registering extreme fear at 11
A panel discussion at NEARCON 2026 in San Francisco brought together two influential crypto industry voices who presented contrasting perspectives on whether blockchain technology will become essential for AI functionality.
Hunter Horsley, CEO of Bitwise, presented evidence that AI development velocity surpasses anything previously witnessed in the cryptocurrency space. He described AI progress as “accomplishing a quarter’s worth of roadmap every two weeks,” suggesting traditional crypto adoption frameworks have become obsolete.
Horsley’s position emphasizes public blockchains as major beneficiaries of AI advancement. His thesis revolves around autonomous AI agents — software systems designed to execute tasks and conduct transactions on behalf of users.
According to Horsley, consumers will prefer keeping AI agents away from direct credit card access. He proposed that stablecoins would serve as the funding mechanism for these agents, enabling private transactions without traditional financial system gatekeeping.
Diogo Monica, general partner at Haun Ventures and co-founder of Anchorage Digital, offered a contrasting perspective during the discussion. He raised fundamental questions about whether AI agents require entirely new payment systems.
“There is a chance that agent payments commerce looks exactly like current payment commerce for the foreseeable future,” Monica stated at the panel. His reasoning focused on capability: superintelligent AI should have little difficulty navigating existing payment infrastructure like credit cards.
“You can’t tell me that AGI is coming and agents are going to be super smart and tell me they’re not going to be smart enough to figure out different systems,” Monica continued.
Where Both Sides Agree
The payments debate aside, Monica recognized meaningful synergies between AI and blockchain technologies. He characterized AI as creating digital abundance while crypto establishes digital scarcity, describing them as “complementary technologies.”
Monica pointed to crypto’s privacy features and verification capabilities as potential solutions to challenges presented by AI development. This intersection could prove more significant than the question of payment infrastructure.
The panel left the central question unresolved: whether blockchain networks will emerge as standard infrastructure for AI-powered commerce remains an open discussion.
Crypto Market in Late February 2026
The week of the panel saw cryptocurrency markets recording positive movements alongside persistently low investor sentiment. Bitcoin gained 2.74% to reach $65,961 while Ethereum advanced 4.01% to $1,917.63, based on CoinGecko market data.
Solana increased 5.27% to $81.91, with Monero jumping 7.30% to $330.56. The total cryptocurrency market capitalization reached $2.34 trillion with 24-hour trading volume at $112.69 billion.
The Fear & Greed Index registered 11 during this period, indicating extreme fear among market participants despite upward price movement.
Bitcoin maintained 56.31% market dominance, with Ethereum holding 9.87%.
