Haun Ventures CEO: The global payments sector is witnessing an arms race, and AI agents will drive the continued growth of stablecoin demand

**March 22 — Katie Haun, Founder/CEO of crypto VC firm Haun Ventures, told CNBC in an interview the global payments space is essentially an "arms race."** Mastercard this week acquired stablecoin infrastructure firm BNK for up to $1.8 billion—one of its largest deals ever—officially entering the stablecoin market. Haun noted stablecoins enable instant, friction-free global transfers of digital dollars, calling this a "truly important innovation." She added the stablecoin space’s transaction volume has hit $12.5 trillion, and the scale will only grow in the AI era. On regulation: The CFTC and SEC jointly released guidance this week on core crypto questions—what counts as a security vs. a commodity. Haun said the Senate Banking Committee is advancing a compromise solution, with an announcement possible as early as today. She’s cautiously optimistic, but noted Congress has roughly three working months left before the midterms and needs to fast-track the CLARITY Act to a vote after the Easter recess. On AI + blockchain: Haun argued AI agents will increasingly take over transactions and payments from humans. "It’s a mistake to assume AI agents will use the same payment systems as humans," she said. "Agents need 24/7 real-time global settlement—and stablecoins are the infrastructure built for this new era."