NEAR Protocol Co-Founder Sees Blockchain Infrastructure Becoming Invisible

As the cryptocurrency industry continues to search for its next defining breakout, a significant development is taking place in the realm of artificial intelligence (AI). The integration of AI into everyday life has been seamless, with developers using tools like ChatGPT as coding co-pilots and consumers relying on AI assistants for various tasks. In contrast, blockchain technology remains largely infrastructural and finance-focused.

Illia Polosukhin, co-founder of NEAR Protocol, predicts that the gap between AI and crypto will soon close. According to him, AI agents will become the primary users of blockchain networks, with AI serving as the interface layer while crypto operates behind the scenes. This would make blockchain infrastructure invisible, providing security, ownership, verifiability, and programmable incentives for AI-driven economies.

Polosukhin criticizes the recent trend of AI-themed tokens, memecoins, and speculative trading bots in the crypto sector, arguing that these trends damage credibility and alienate serious AI developers. He emphasizes that blockchain's true strength lies in powering neutral markets and trusted execution systems for AI-driven economies.