Australia's Treasury has released its long-term economic forecast identifying artificial intelligence as one of the defining forces set to transform the nation over the coming decades, but the document makes no mention of cryptocurrency or blockchain technology — an omission that has drawn criticism from the industry.
## AI Named Among Five Key Transitions The Treasury's 40-year outlook singles out the "AI revolution" as one of five major shifts expected to reshape the Australian economy. The report frames artificial intelligence as a technology capable of driving productivity gains and altering the structure of work and industry across the country.
By elevating AI to such prominence, the government signaled that emerging technologies will play a central role in its long-range planning. Yet the forecast steered clear of any discussion of digital assets, decentralized finance or the underlying infrastructure that supports them.
A future built on autonomous AI agents may still need a financial rail — and crypto advocates argue that rail is already being built.
## Coinbase Pushes Back Crypto exchange Coinbase took issue with the report's silence on digital assets, arguing that the analysis overlooks the financial plumbing that increasingly sophisticated AI systems could eventually rely upon. The company suggested that as AI agents grow more capable of acting independently, they will require ways to transact and settle value — a role well suited to blockchain-based systems.
The critique reflects a broader argument advanced by parts of the industry: that AI and cryptocurrency are complementary technologies rather than separate trends. In this view, autonomous software agents conducting transactions on their own behalf could depend on programmable, always-available digital payment networks.
Key points from the debate include:
- Treasury highlighted AI as one of five transformative economic transitions
- The report contained no reference to crypto or blockchain
- Coinbase argues AI agents may eventually need digital financial infrastructure
## What It Signals for Policy The absence of crypto from a decades-spanning economic blueprint may indicate that Australian officials still view digital assets as a niche or unsettled sector rather than a foundational technology. For an industry seeking clearer regulatory recognition, being left out of such a document is a notable snub.
Whether the government eventually incorporates digital assets into its long-term thinking may hinge on how tightly AI and crypto become intertwined in practice. For now, the outlook makes clear that AI has secured a place in Australia's official vision of the future — while cr