Franklin Templeton Exec Spots Agentic AI as Ethereum's Killer Use Case

Franklin Templeton's Head of Digital Assets and Innovation has identified agentic AI as a significant use case for crypto, specifically citing Ethereum (ETH) as a key player. According to Sandy Kaul, the current industry standard for decentralized blockchains is Ethereum and its layer-2 networks due to their largest developer base and institutional support.

Kaul's statement came in response to the growth opportunity presented by agentic AI payments, which are expected to reach $3 to $5 trillion by 2030. Legacy payment rails with high fees and slow transaction times do not work for micropayments, making decentralized blockchains essential for AI agents.

Ethereum prices have been on the rise, hitting a seven-week high of $1,945 and currently trading at around $1,930. This represents a 27% increase since its cycle low on June 26, with some investors predicting it will soon breach the psychological $2,000 barrier.

Crypto commentator Leo Lanza added that 'everyone sees Ethereum as a tokenization bet,' but AI agents will need financial rails to hold assets, settle payments, and transact with each other. This is in line with an IMF report released in April stating that agentic AI will reshape payments and standards are being developed.