Animoca’s Yat Siu Bets on AI Wallets: ’50 to 100 Billion Agents’ Will Run the Internet
Animoca Brands chairman Yat Siu has a bold new bet on AI wallets and AI agents. He thinks the internet’s next users will not be people. They will be software. An “AI agent” is a computer program that acts on its own. It can book a flight, pay a bill, or shop for you without you clicking anything. Siu predicts there could one day be “50 to 100 billion agents roaming essentially on the internet.” That is far more agents than humans alive today.
His big idea ties these AI agents to crypto wallets. A “crypto wallet” is a digital app that holds money and proves who you are online. Siu argues agents will need wallets to pay each other and to act on your behalf. He calls this the “agent economy.” In his view, blockchain is the perfect money system for machines, not just humans.
Who is Yat Siu and what is Animoca?
Yat Siu is the co-founder and chairman of Animoca Brands. Animoca is a large company in the world of Web3. “Web3” means a version of the internet built on blockchains, where users own their data and digital items. Animoca was famous for backing games and virtual worlds.
Now the company is shifting its focus. It is moving away from the old dream of people living inside virtual worlds. Instead, it is betting on AI agents that quietly do work across blockchains in the background. Siu shared this vision at Consensus 2026, a major crypto event.
The ‘agent economy’: what it means in plain words
Siu paints a clear picture of the future. AI agents will run all day in the background. They will handle bookings, payments, scheduling, and online deals for you. To do this, they need two things: a way to pay and a way to prove identity. Blockchain wallets give them both.
“Blockchain technology is the ideal financial system for machines,” Siu said. “We, the humans, were basically the guinea pigs.” His point is sharp. Crypto was hard for normal people. But machines do not get confused. They read code directly. So tools that felt clunky for humans may be perfect for agents.
He also believes agents could finally bring crypto to the masses. He notes that fewer than 70 million of the world’s 700 to 800 million crypto holders actually use blockchain apps. Most find it too technical. Agents could remove that pain by doing the hard part automatically.
Key facts from Yat Siu’s AI wallet bet
| Detail | Figure |
|---|---|
| Person | Yat Siu, co-founder and chairman, Animoca Brands |
| Predicted number of AI agents | 50 to 100 billion |
| Crypto holders worldwide | 700 to 800 million |
| Active blockchain app users | Fewer than 70 million |
| New funding initiative | $10 million (Animoca Minds, for AI agent developers) |
| Theme for 2026 | “Year of Utility” |
| Where announced | Consensus 2026 |
Animoca puts money behind the idea
Siu is not just talking. Animoca announced a $10 million initiative called Animoca Minds. The fund is meant for developers who build AI agent apps. This shows the company wants to grow the tools agents will use, not just predict them.
He has been pitching 2026 as the “Year of Utility.” “Utility” simply means real, useful work — not just price bets. The hope is that agents push crypto away from gambling on tokens and toward everyday tasks that repeat again and again. If agents pay for things on their own, crypto stops being a casino and starts being plumbing.
Of course, billions of agents handling money also raises safety questions. Who controls them? What if one is hacked? These concerns link directly to wider news about AI risk, including the White House asking Meta to submit its AI models for safety review.
FAQ
What is an AI agent?
An AI agent is a software program that can act on its own. It completes tasks like booking, paying, or shopping without you doing each step. Yat Siu believes these agents will soon outnumber humans on the internet.
Why do AI agents need crypto wallets?
Agents need a way to pay and a way to prove identity. A crypto wallet gives them both. Siu argues blockchain is “the ideal financial system for machines” because agents read code directly and do not need traditional banks.
What is the “Year of Utility”?
It is Siu’s name for 2026. The idea is that AI agents will make crypto useful for daily tasks instead of pure price speculation. “Utility” means real, repeatable use.
Why it matters (especially for India / founders)
India has a huge base of young developers and a fast-growing AI scene. If agents become the next big users of the internet, the people who build agent tools will win. That is a wide-open field. Indian founders can build the apps, wallets, and safety layers these agents need.
There is a caution too. Siu’s numbers, like “50 to 100 billion agents,” are predictions, not facts on the ground today. Founders should treat them as a direction, not a promise. The smart move is to build real tools with clear use, the same lesson seen in funded fintech like Trace Finance’s $32M stablecoin round. Useful beats hyped, every time.
The takeaway
Yat Siu’s bet is big and clear. He sees a future run by tens of billions of AI agents, each holding a crypto wallet. Animoca is backing this with a $10 million fund. Whether the exact numbers come true or not, the direction is real: software that acts on its own, and pays on its own, is coming. The teams that build the tools for these agents could shape the next internet.
