As we traverse the ever-evolving landscape of artificial intelligence (AI), the tantalizing prospect of its integration with blockchain technology and robotics presents new frontiers for automation and finance. A key hurdle for AI, and by extension robots, is their current inability to independently manage transactions. Developers are now surmounting this obstacle by integrating AI with blockchain infrastructure, thus empowering AI agents with the capacity to transact securely, manage digital assets, and execute smart contracts.
This innovative approach was a hot topic at ETH Denver 2025, where Decrypt had insightful conversations with industry experts from the Coinbase Developer Platform, and AI and robotics developers OpenMind and Robonomics. The focus was on how AI-powered humanoid robots and other systems could leverage blockchain to function as autonomous economic entities.
“AI, in its out-of-the-box form, does not interact with the blockchain at all,” stated Nemil Dalal, Lead Developer at Coinbase Developer Platform. “To enable transactional capabilities, such as having a wallet or transferring funds autonomously, we developed a framework called Agent Kit.”
This groundbreaking tool gives AI the ability to perform any on-chain action that a human can, effectively bridging the gap between AI and blockchain technology. Dalal sees immense potential in AI handling tasks such as monitoring the internet and conducting business on behalf of users. He revealed that over 2,000 developers have already built on the Agent Kit framework, culminating in over $100 million in value.
However, AI integration is not without its challenges. Dalal candidly acknowledged issues with AI hallucinations, where AI may take actions or provide information that is not accurate, a concern that is magnified when real money is involved. He suggested mechanisms that provide users with greater control and oversight to ensure that AI can safely handle financial transactions without risking unintended actions.
Jan Liphardt, founder of open-source AI and robotics startup OpenMind, believes that AI and robotics provide a unique and compelling use case for crypto. He underscored the hurdles AI-driven humanoid robots face in human-centric environments, such as banks and airlines, which remain unprepared to accommodate them. To mitigate these issues, OpenMind designed Iris, a robot that uses multiple cryptocurrency wallets to facilitate transactions.
As robots become part of human systems, questions about their identity, earnings management, and human interaction arise. Liphardt believes that decentralized ledgers are well-positioned to address these challenges. To ensure transparency and immutability, OpenMind encodes governance and behavior rules onto Ethereum.
Nevertheless, Liphardt acknowledges that this is not a comprehensive solution. To assuage fears of humanoid robots, he suggests making medical robots smaller and more approachable than their industrial counterparts.
For Vitaly Bulatov, an evangelist with robotics startup Robonomics, blockchain technology provides resources that smaller robotics developers might not have access to. He emphasizes the importance of giving robots an identity, a wallet, and the ability to enter contractual obligations with people. This approach allows for verification of task completion and ensures that technical execution corresponds with payment.
As the world of AI, blockchain, and robotics continues to evolve, these thought leaders are paving the way for a future where robots are not just part of our economic system, but independent agents within it.
