A claim has emerged that artificial intelligence could become a driving force behind broader adoption of bitcoin.

On Sept. 15 local time, blockchain media outlet Bitcoin Magazine said David Bailey (데이비드 베일리), CEO and board chairman of bitcoin treasury firm Nakamoto Holdings, said the key obstacle that has held back bitcoin’s spread was not the asset itself but the user interface.

Bailey, speaking in a discussion hosted by TD Cowen, said elements such as wallets, addresses, private keys and initial setup procedures have made it difficult for general users to access bitcoin over the past decade or so. He said if AI-based tools can hide such complexity from users, individuals as well as institutions would be able to use bitcoin much more easily.

TD Cowen analyst Lance Vitanza (랜스 비탄자) called the idea speculative for now, but said it was a notable point. He said the discussion goes beyond familiar adoption debates such as monetary policy, regulation and institutional inflows.

Bailey said institutional adoption of bitcoin is also still at an early stage. Spot exchange-traded funds, corporate treasury programs and national-level interest have changed approaches over the past year, and he judged that the scale of that change was greater than the combined shifts of the previous decade or so. He added that the market opportunity ahead is much larger than what has already been secured.

Asked which of traditional finance and bitcoin is changing the other, Bailey put more weight on bitcoin. He said institutions, governments and listed companies are participating on a large scale, but bitcoin’s fundamental characteristics have not been altered to suit them. He said adaptation is happening in only one direction, and the market is moving toward an asset whose rules no one can control.

Bailey also said corporate classification standards should change after direct investment routes through ETFs widened. He downplayed the importance of the usual yardstick that distinguishes treasury-focused companies from operating companies. Instead, he said it is more important whether a company can increase the amount of bitcoin it holds per share over time. He described that as a criterion that distinguishes capital allocation and execution capability rather than simply the size of a balance sheet.

Nakamoto Holdings is also expanding its business structure in line with that direction. The company is positioning itself as an integrated bitcoin platform spanning media, conferences, education, asset management, advisory and treasury operations. Vitanza said the strategy is relatively differentiated even among bitcoin-focused listed companies, but added that results have not yet been proven.

The remarks draw attention for shifting the focus of bitcoin adoption debates from price, institutions and institutional funds to actual user experience. It remains to be seen whether AI can play a practical role in improving bitcoin accessibility and whether companies will accept increases in bitcoin held per share as a new execution metric.