John Gillen, a former BlackRock VP and host of Milk Road Daily, reported on Tuesday that the head of digital assets and innovation at a $2 trillion investment firm recommended buying Ethereum (ETH). He shared this information after reading a detailed post by Franklin’s Sandy Kaul about how cryptocurrency can be used for payments in artificial intelligence systems that act independently.
Currently, many investors are purchasing stock in companies focused on artificial intelligence to benefit from their potential growth. The US stock market has performed very well, with the S&P 500 reaching a record high in early June after increasing by 20% over the last year, thanks primarily to gains in the technology and AI sectors.
However, the same playbook may not work for agentic AI, he said.
Ethereum is the AI Bet
AI agents are able to handle transactions from start to finish on their own, and experts predict this could create a market worth $3 to $5 trillion by 2030.
As a crypto investor, I see a real problem with how we currently handle small payments – things like fractions of a cent. Traditional payment systems just aren’t built for that; the fees are too high and transactions take forever. Plus, it’s becoming clear these systems won’t work for the future where AI agents need to make their own payments. Banks require so much ID verification (KYC) that AI simply can’t open accounts or access financial services at all! It’s a barrier to progress, and crypto offers a solution.
AI programs will probably use decentralized blockchains to handle payments and other transactions, and right now, Ethereum and its related networks are the most popular choice, with the biggest community of developers and backing from major institutions.
Over the next few years, it will likely become obvious that to profit from new decentralized networks and businesses, investors will need to purchase the cryptocurrencies and alternative coins those companies create.
He believes these investments will likely become important parts of investment portfolios, particularly for those wanting to benefit from the growing field of AI that can act independently.
The Head of Digital Assets and Innovation for a ~$2T Asset Manager just said to buy $ETH
Over the next few years, it’s going to be more and more obvious that if investors want to profit from new, decentralized technologies and companies, they’ll need to invest in their associated cryptocurrencies.
— John Gillen – WartimeEthereum.eth (@BitcoinJesusETH) July 21, 2026
The International Monetary Fund reported in April that advanced AI will significantly change how payments are made, and work on establishing related standards is already underway.
Many companies in the tech and finance industries – like payment processors, platforms such as Ethereum, and AI developers – are actively testing and exploring these new possibilities.
According to crypto analyst Leo Lanza, many people view Ethereum primarily as an investment in its potential for tokenizing assets. He stated this on Tuesday.
Most people don’t think of it this way, but artificial intelligence systems will eventually require a financial infrastructure – ways to manage money, process payments, and complete transactions among themselves.
ETH Price Nudges Higher
The price of Ethereum reached $1,945 on Tuesday – its highest point in seven weeks – and remained near that level in early trading today.
At the time this was written, the asset was trading at $1,930, a 27% increase from its lowest point on June 26th. It’s getting very close to reaching the $2,000 mark.
2026-07-22 08:12