This week’s conversation touches on two powerful forces reshaping crypto: regulatory clarity in the U.S. and the accelerating role of AI in identity and privacy. We dig into how these forces converge to set the stage for global adoption—and what it means for both stablecoins and decentralized identity.

• Humpty, longtime contributor and advocate of decentralized identity and privacy

• Barnabas, community leader at Ontology driving education and adoption across Africa

• Godly content creator, “Voice of Web3”

The discussion opened with news that MetaMask launched its own stablecoin (MUSD), powered by M0’s universal stablecoin platform. This marks a clear shift toward use-case-specific stablecoins—imagine TikTok or Spotify paying creators directly in their own branded digital dollars.

Speakers pointed out that this moment is only possible because of evolving regulatory clarity in the U.S. While crypto is a global phenomenon, the U.S. still sets the tone for financial policy. Without a more defined stance, even a “G-rated token” like a stablecoin may not have been launched by firms with U.S. exposure.

“This is huge as it pertains to the proliferation of crypto and stablecoins… companies like MetaMask would likely never have launched a token before.”

For creators worldwide, this shift removes friction. A musician in Nigeria could be paid directly from a U.S. platform without intermediaries or costly middlemen. Stablecoins unlock borderless commerce in a way that’s finally scalable.

From stablecoins, the conversation turned to AI and digital identity—building on the ongoing series we’ve been following. If last week was about the promise of verifiable identity, this week highlighted what happens when agents, not just humans, become actors in our digital economy.

“In a world where AI is increasing in its population… to be recognized as human is going to be more important than ever. But maybe even agents need some way to prove their identity and the value they create.”

The idea that AI agents themselves should hold decentralized identifiers (DIDs) introduces a new layer to digital citizenship. If humans use verifiable credentials to establish trust and gain access, why not AI agents? With provenance, rewards, and accountability tied to their actions, agents could participate in digital economies alongside us—opening questions about governance, trust, and citizenship in mixed human–AI ecosystems.

Finally, the conversation closed on a critical note: privacy. While today’s AI tools have become our “encrypted best friends,” they’re far from private. Data can be retrieved, exposed, or repurposed without user consent.

“AI should be like talking with my best friend 👀 I should be able to share things and know that no one else will ever see or hear of it. But that’s not how it works today.”

The speakers emphasized that privacy-preserving, decentralized AI is essential. Efforts like the ASI Alliance (Fetch.AI, SingularityNET, Ocean Protocol) point toward models where data contributors retain ownership, control, and rewards. Ontology’s work in decentralized identity aims to give users the tools to decide what they share, with whom, and under what conditions.

Stablecoins may prove to be the Trojan horse that accelerates crypto adoption globally—driven by U.S. regulatory clarity and executed through corporate platforms with massive reach. But the bigger story is convergence: as tokens proliferate, and as AI agents become more capable, the lines of digital citizenship are redrawn.

Who gets to hold identity? Who gets to transact? Who gets to be trusted?
This week’s discussion makes clear: the answers won’t stop at humans.