Beyond humans: Lily Liu says Solana is building the payment rails for the 'AI machine economy'
Key takeaways
- Liu argued blockchain rails are essential for AI agents and “machine-to-machine” commerce because traditional card networks cannot support micropayments economically.
- “It’s not new,” Liu said, referencing Visa’s decision in 2023 to build stablecoin settlement capabilities on Solana following what she described as an “extensive objective review” of blockchain networks.
- “Fast and cheap is a no-brainer for payments,” she said, adding that enterprises also need deep liquidity, developers and a broad ecosystem of applications surrounding those payment rails.
Liu argued blockchain rails are essential for AI agents and “machine-to-machine” commerce because traditional card networks cannot support micropayments economically. She said crypto’s next major evolution could be “internet capital markets,” giving companies and even sovereigns broader access to global capital formation.Solana Foundation president Lily Liu said growing adoption of stablecoins by major corporations is validating blockchain’s evolution into global financial infrastructure, while also laying the groundwork for AI-driven “machine economies.”
Speaking at Consensus Miami 2026 on Tuesday, Liu pointed to recent announcements involving Meta and Western Union integrating stablecoin payments on Solana as evidence that large enterprises increasingly view blockchain rails as practical infrastructure rather than speculative technology.
“It’s not new,” Liu said, referencing Visa’s decision in 2023 to build stablecoin settlement capabilities on Solana following what she described as an “extensive objective review” of blockchain networks.