The AI Cryptocurrency That Could Benefit From the Artificial Intelligence Boom

By Justin Pope – Apr 2, 2026 at 2:11PM ESTKey PointsThe day could come when AI agents transact more than humans do.Agentic commerce payments could soar to $1.7 trillion by 2030.AI agents are already transacting on Solana due to its speed and low fees.For years, cryptocurrency supporters have argued that it was the future of money. Thanks to artificial intelligence (AI), that future is becoming a reality. OpenClaw, an open-source AI assistant program, helped put AI agents on the map when it went viral earlier this year. AI agents can browse the web, use programs, and make purchases -- all autonomously. Many AI agents have begun transacting on Solana (SOL 6.20%), a blockchain known for its lightning-fast transaction speeds and low fees. Here is how AI agents could make Solana a must-have cryptocurrency for the future. Image source: Getty Images. Solana is an early winner in agentic AI payments Vibhu Norby is an executive responsible for product strategy and AI adoption at the Solana Foundation. Recently, he estimated that Solana accounts for at least 65% of all agentic on-chain payments made through x402, a popular Coinbase-developed protocol that allows AI agents to make payments autonomously. AI agents accounted for $31 billion in payment volume on Solana in 2025. Remember, each transaction on Solana burns a small amount of tokens. A more active Solana network burns more tokens, putting a metaphorical thumb on the scales of the supply and-demand equation that influences token prices. The ceiling could be very high AI agents don't need to sleep or take breaks. If people can set up AI agents on localized AI models (no paid subscription) and run them around the clock, there's no telling how many AI agents there might be 10 years from now. In March, Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong posted on X: "Very soon there are going to be more AI agents than humans making transactions. They can't open a bank account, but they can own a crypto wallet. Think about it." Research from Edgar, Dunn & Company projects that the total agentic commerce market, consumer-to-business transactions initiated by AI agents, will grow from an estimated $136 billion last year to $1.7 trillion by 2030. Major payment companies like Visa and Mastercard will fight for market share. Still, it's notable that Solana has captured such a large share of payment volume so quickly. ExpandCRYPTO: SOLSolanaToday's Change(-6.20%) $-5.20Current Price$78.67Key Data PointsMarket Cap$45BDay's Range$76.95 - $84.2552wk Range$70.61 - $252.78Volume5.1B How should investors approach Solana today? The broader stock market has been increasingly shaky in recent weeks, and Solana is down a whopping 61% over the past six months. As exciting as Solana's long-term potential may be, cryptocurrencies remain very speculative investments and are prone to gut-wrenching volatility. It would be wise to treat Solana like any other investment: including it as a small piece of a diversified portfolio. Buying a little Solana at a time would help protect investors from too much exposure at a bad price. The agentic payments story will likely still take years to play out, so plan on Solana as a buy-and-hold investment rather than a lottery ticket.Read NextApr 2, 2026 •By Lyle DalyMy Top 2 Altcoins After the Latest Crypto PullbackApr 1, 2026 •By Dominic BasultoShould You Forget Dogecoin and Buy a More Serious Cryptocurrency Instead?Mar 31, 2026 •By Alex CarchidiHere's My Solana Price Prediction for AprilMar 31, 2026 •By Alex CarchidiIs Solana a Good Investment for Building Wealth?Mar 26, 2026 •By Dominic BasultoAre Any of These Ethereum Competitors Buys in 2026?Mar 25, 2026 •By Alex Carchidi3 Brand New Reasons Solana (SOL) Under $100 Could Be a StealAbout the AuthorJustin Pope is a contributing Motley Fool stock market analyst covering information technology, consumer discretionary, consumer staples, and industrials. Prior to The Motley Fool, Justin was a business manager for an industrial company.TMFbeardedFiStocks MentionedSolanaCRYPTO: SOL$78.67(-6.20%)-$5.20VisaNYSE: V$301.12(+0.87%)+$2.61MastercardNYSE: MA$493.03(+0.28%)+$1.38Coinbase GlobalNASDAQ: COIN$170.99(-1.16%)-$2.01*Average returns of all recommendations since inception. Cost basis and return based on previous market day close.