TLDR

  • Bitwise CEO Hunter Horsley described AI as an “unstoppable freight train” that could propel crypto into mainstream adoption at NEARCON 2026.
  • Horsley contends that stablecoins and on-chain infrastructure offer the ideal payment rails for AI agents.
  • Diogo Monica of Haun Ventures countered, suggesting that highly intelligent AI could readily utilize existing payment systems.
  • Both agreed on the complementary nature of AI and crypto — AI generates digital abundance, while crypto establishes digital scarcity.
  • Bitcoin and Ethereum recorded gains in late February 2026, even as the Fear & Greed Index indicated extreme fear (11).

During a panel discussion at NEARCON 2026 in San Francisco, two prominent figures in the crypto space debated the extent to which AI will truly necessitate blockchain technology.

Hunter Horsley, CEO of Bitwise, argued that the pace of AI development is unprecedented within the crypto industry. He stated that AI is “accomplishing a quarter’s worth of roadmap every two weeks,” and asserted that traditional crypto adoption models are now obsolete.

Horsley believes that public blockchains are poised to benefit significantly from AI’s emergence, more so than almost any other sector. His rationale centers on autonomous AI agents — software designed to perform tasks and make purchases on behalf of users.

He posited that users would be reluctant to grant AI agents access to their credit cards. Instead, he suggested that agents would be funded with stablecoins, enabling private transactions without the need for conventional financial authorization.

Diogo Monica, a general partner at Haun Ventures and co-founder of , directly challenged this perspective. He questioned whether AI agents would genuinely require new payment infrastructure at all.

“There is a chance that agent payments commerce looks exactly like current payment commerce for the foreseeable future,” Monica remarked during the same panel. His argument was straightforward: if AI is destined to be superintelligent, it would likely be capable of navigating credit card systems.

“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 added.

Where Both Sides Agree

Despite their disagreement regarding payments, Monica acknowledged a deeper connection between the two technologies. He noted that AI fosters digital abundance while crypto establishes digital scarcity, describing them as “complementary technologies.”

He also highlighted that crypto’s privacy and verification tools could help mitigate some of the risks associated with AI. This synergy might prove more significant in the long term than the payment debate.

The panel did not reach a definitive conclusion on whether blockchains will become the standard infrastructure for AI-driven commerce. The question remains unresolved.

Crypto Market in Late February 2026

In the same week as the panel, crypto markets experienced gains despite low investor confidence. was up 2.74% to $65,961, and Ethereum increased by 4.01% to $1,917.63, according to CoinGecko data.

Solana saw a rise of 5.27% to $81.91, and Monero surged by 7.30% to $330.56. The total crypto market capitalization stood at $2.34 trillion, with a 24-hour trading volume of $112.69 billion.

The Fear & Greed Index registered 11 at the time, indicating extreme fear among investors despite the upward price movements.

Bitcoin maintained a market dominance of 56.31%, with Ethereum at 9.87%.