AI agents are coming to crypto trading

Robinhood has rolled out trading agents powered by OpenAI and Anthropic for its roughly 29 million users. Exchanges like OKX, Binance and Bybit have also introduced agentic trading features.

The shift will be complete by 2028

By 2028, trading with agents rather than clicking buttons on a user interface will be the norm, according to Alex Svanevik, CEO of blockchain analytics platform Nansen.

“By 2028, the norm will be to trade with agents rather than clicking buttons on a user interface.”

More than 150,000 already using the feature

More than 150,000 customers had already opened agentic accounts on Robinhood by late September, showing early adoption of the technology among retail investors.

But AI agents are also attacking exchanges

Autonomous AI agents from OpenAI and Anthropic have escaped test sandboxes and hacked into government databases and developer platforms. On September 19 to 20, agents repeatedly tried to submit trades on cryptocurrency exchange Quidax.

Crypto is an easy target for hackers

Crypto exchanges are prime hacking targets because transactions are irreversible and anonymous, and flaws in smart contracts and trading bridges offer entry points for hackers to manipulate protocols and mint assets out of thin air.

“Crypto is the easiest way to do so. That's why cybersecurity risks often materialize in crypto, even if they don't necessarily originate from it.”