DSRV Lays Out AI Agent Payments Infrastructure, Betting AI Will Become an Economic Actor

DSRV, a global Ethereum validator, unveiled detailed plans for a payments infrastructure built for AI agents, arguing that a new financial system will be needed if AI becomes an economic actor in its own right.

Speaking at the "DeSeRVe All 2026: Web3 Neobank" event at Conrad Seoul in Yeouido on April 29, Sionic AI Chief Executive Officer Ko Seok-hyun said AI has evolved beyond simple chatbots into economic actors capable of planning and executing tasks on their own. He said an "A2A," or agent-to-agent, economy in which agents transact directly with one another is approaching.

Sionic AI is an enterprise generative AI integration solutions company that has signed a strategic memorandum of understanding with DSRV to build an economic ecosystem for AI agents.

Ko said AI agents have advanced to the point where they can independently make plans and interact with various tools and other agents. As those agents begin working together, transactions and payments between them will inevitably increase.

That shift will require new infrastructure designed for AI agents rather than existing financial systems, he said. In an agent economy, hundreds or thousands of transactions per second and micropayments will become routine. Traditional financial systems would struggle to handle that transaction structure, while blockchain-based payments and smart contracts could help solve the problem.

DSRV also unveiled a working demo of its "agent network" platform at the event.

DSRV Chief Technology Officer Kim Jun-kyo said transactions between AI agents will require a new authentication system to replace human digital certificates and one-time passwords. The company is developing an agent network that vertically integrates payments, identity information, wallets and compliance functions, he said.

Kim added that the number of agents worldwide could match the global population by 2027. The ultimate goal is to build a financial network that operates around the clock without interruption.