Isabelle Huang

OpenAI's Instant Checkout converted at one-third the rate of Walmart's native path. That single data point settles the debate. AI has taken the traffic layer. It will not take checkout — not because of technology, but because of liability, licensing, and the hard structure of payments infrastructure.

Banks have not exited the blockchain race. They have moved past token issuance and are rewriting the three layers that carry real value: accounts, clearing, and securities back-office infrastructure. This is not banks getting on-chain. This is banks taking control of the next financial ledger.

AI didn’t kill Crypto. It did something far more brutal: It stripped away the narrative premium. With AI devouring 90% of global startup funding in February 2026 , Crypto is being forced to stop performing and start delivering as hard financial infrastructure. Explore the five networks that will survive the "Great Filter"