Odaily reported that Citrini Research said the barriers between traditional finance and the crypto industry are gradually fading, and that the spread of AI agents could mark a genuine application turning point for blockchain.
AI agents may need a different kind of financial rail
Citrini Research said future personal AI agents may be able to manage a user’s entire pool of financial assets, including allocating idle funds, making investment decisions and finding lending options.
The firm argued that the current financial system is built around manual processes, intermediaries and compliance frameworks, making it difficult to meet the needs of 24/7 automated machine interaction. In its view, AI agents need programmable financial infrastructure that runs in real time and does not depend on human intervention. After more than a decade of development, blockchain already has key features that fit that requirement, including asset digitization, on-chain settlement and open financial applications.
Tokenized real-world assets are bringing traditional assets on-chain
Citrini Research said the crypto sector has previously faced problems such as complicated user experience and a lack of practical asset use cases. That picture is starting to change as real-world asset, or RWA, tokenization advances and more traditional financial assets move onto blockchain networks.
The firm pointed to the growth of tokenized stocks, U.S. Treasuries and credit, along with changes in the regulatory environment, as forces pulling traditional finance and crypto closer together. It also cited Robinhood’s launch of stock tokens, regulators exploring rules for tokenized assets, and rising traditional finance interest in on-chain markets such as Hyperliquid as signs that the market is shifting.
The focus, it said, should be on who captures the economics
Citrini Research said investors should not focus only on whether assets will be tokenized, but on "who can capture the economic value in the tokenization wave." The firm added that blockchain could ultimately become a core financial infrastructure layer in the age of AI agents.