DUBAI — At Paris Blockchain Week 2026, Bybit co‑founder and CEO Ben Zhou laid out a practical vision for rebuilding financial infrastructure so billions can trust it — and barely notice it.
Zhou argued the industry’s next phase is not another cycle of crypto speculation but a redesign of core systems driven by artificial intelligence, programmable assets, and clearer regulation. The goal, he said, is to make finance smarter, more accessible, and effectively invisible in everyday life.
Agentic finance and invisible interfaces
Zhou highlighted the emergence of AI “agentic” accounts: sub‑accounts or agents that access market data, execute strategies, and handle payments on behalf of users. Today those agents mainly support analysis and data access; tomorrow they may manage execution and settlement. “Agentic payments are becoming a major theme — and we’re just at the beginning,” he noted.
The implication is a shift from manual navigation toward delegation. Users will entrust tasks to AI that interprets signals, optimizes decisions in real time, and runs in the background so interfaces fade and intelligence takes over.
Blockchain as foundational infrastructure
Beyond headlines about crypto prices, Zhou said established institutions are quietly adopting blockchain as infrastructure rather than speculation. Stablecoins and tokenized assets are proving useful for faster payments, more efficient settlement, and tapping global liquidity. Many institutions are building on crypto rails while avoiding the “crypto” label — an indication that distributed ledger technology is becoming foundational to traditional finance.
Trust, regulation, and institutional adoption
For Zhou, trust is the central product. Improved regulatory clarity has been a key enabler: jurisdictions such as the UAE are proactively welcoming innovation and creating clear pathways for firms to operate. As rules solidify across Europe, the United States, and the United Kingdom, institutional participation rises and tokenized infrastructure becomes easier to integrate into existing systems.
A seamless financial layer
Zhou framed the ultimate objective as enhancement rather than replacement: embed finance so seamlessly into daily life that users no longer think about wallets, blockchains, or platforms. In that world, trust is built into the rails, intelligence operates behind the scenes, and technology simply works.
About Bybit
Bybit is one of the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchanges by trading volume, serving a global user base of over 80 million. Founded in 2018, Bybit focuses on building an accessible ecosystem that bridges TradFi and DeFi, partnering with blockchain protocols to provide custody, marketplaces, and developer tools aimed at fostering on‑chain innovation.
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