A recent debate between Arjun Sethi, co-CEO of Kraken, and Haseeb Qureshi, a representative of crypto venture capital firm Dragonfly, highlighted the differing opinions on the readiness of AI agents to manage crypto assets.
At NEARCON 2026, the two speakers engaged in a discussion on the topic, with Sethi arguing that autonomous systems are already making rapid progress and will soon be able to handle significant portions of a portfolio. In contrast, Qureshi expressed caution, stating that the technology is not yet reliable enough for widespread deployment.
Sethi claimed that Kraken is currently building agent-like capabilities for its customers, with implementation weeks or months away, rather than years. He also revealed that he would trust AI agents with 100% of his crypto within a year, and possibly even sooner, while Qureshi would only consider trusting them with up to 5% of his portfolio.
The debate underscores the ongoing discussion in the crypto community about the role of autonomous finance in the industry's future. As the technology continues to evolve, stakeholders are grappling with questions around risk tolerance and the reliability threshold for widespread adoption.