The artificial intelligence boom is reshaping every layer of the technology stack, from GPU compute to data storage and model inference. But one critical question remains largely unanswered: what will serve as the economic and transactional backbone for a world run by autonomous AI agents? According to a fresh prediction from Grayscale, one of the world’s most influential digital asset managers, the answer may lie with NEAR Protocol. The firm is staking a bold claim — that NEAR is quietly evolving into the core infrastructure for the burgeoning AI economy. With its revolutionary “Intents” system having already processed over 25 million transactions worth nearly $20 billion, a suite of new security tools purpose-built for AI agents, and a tokenomics overhaul that is turning heads, NEAR is no longer just another Layer 1 blockchain; it is rapidly becoming the hidden settlement layer for machine-to-machine value exchange. Grayscale’s Conviction: NEAR as the AI Infrastructure Play Gra...