a16z Partner Ali Yahya Believes 'Agency Commerce' Is Less Attractive to Crypto Than People Think, Credit Cards Are More Reliable and Widely Accepted in Most Agency Payment Scenarios
a16z Partner Ali Yahya believes that 'agency commerce' is less attractive to crypto than people think, as credit cards are more reliable and widely accepted in most agency payment scenarios, and they offer programmability, security, and ease of use for agents.
More promising is crypto-supported coordination between agents, such as using smart contracts to escrow funds for payment upon completion of work and condition verification, with the possibility of introducing third-party agents as judges.
He cited AI researchers using agency markets for experimental commissions, with smart contracts providing a neutral and executable environment.
In market mechanisms, AI developers and agency builders become the main buyers using blockchain coordination tools, with event-driven funding flowing to smart contract infrastructure and agency markets, benefiting crypto projects and agent-to-agent platforms, while traditional payment solutions face pressure.
Source: Public Information
ABAB AI Insight
a16z has previously invested continuously in the intersection of AI and crypto, and this viewpoint continues its long-term bet on blockchain as a coordination technology. Earlier explorations of multi-agent systems and DeFi combinations reflect a capital path extending from payment to governance.
In terms of capital pathways, projects supported by a16z will direct resources towards programmable contracts and agency markets, with strategic motives aimed at capturing the infrastructure window before the explosion of the agency economy, shifting funding from consumer payments to autonomous coordination protocols.
Similar to other blockchain-supported multi-party trust scenario cases, crypto is currently in an expansion phase transitioning from financial tools to AI agent infrastructure. Ali Yahya's viewpoint highlights the potential of agent-to-agent as a killer application.
Essentially, this is a technological substitution, where blockchain smart contracts replace legal contracts to establish trust between agents. The mechanism involves programmatic execution reducing coordination costs, leading to a shift in pricing power from centralized platforms to decentralized protocols, and driving the AI and crypto industry chain towards a reconstruction of the autonomous agency economy.
ABAB News · Cognitive Law
Coordination Efficiency = Trust Deficit × Execution Certainty × Programmatic Rules
Humans sign contracts, agents sign smart contracts; whoever resolves trust between agents defines the next generation economy.
The simpler the payment, the more critical the coordination; the counterintuitive aspect is that the true value of blockchain lies in agency autonomy rather than human consumption.