Is Bitcoin Ready for the AI-Driven Economy? Insights from exSat’s CMO on BeInCrypto’s Horizon Series
Bitcoin’s legacy as “digital gold” has long served it well. That narrative made it palatable to institutional portfolios and helped secure its role as a hedge in uncertain markets. But according to Tristan Dickinson, CMO of exSat, that is not where its potential ends.
In a recent Horizon Series appearance with BeInCrypto, Dickinson laid out a thesis for Bitcoin’s next chapter. He spoke about Bitcoin’s potential on a larger socio-economic scale while also reflecting on how access has shifted since its early days.
Bitcoin’s legacy as “digital gold” has long served it well. That narrative made it palatable to institutional portfolios and helped secure its role as a hedge in uncertain markets. But according to Tristan Dickinson, CMO of exSat, that is not where its potential ends.
In a recent Horizon Series appearance with BeInCrypto, Dickinson laid out a thesis for Bitcoin’s next chapter. He spoke about Bitcoin’s potential on a larger socio-economic scale while also reflecting on how access has shifted since its early days.
Bitcoin’s Participation, Then and Now
Dickinson recalled Bitcoin’s early years as a period when access to the system felt radically open. Users didn’t need accreditation, large capital, or geographic privilege — just an internet connection, a basic understanding of wallets, and the ability to navigate exchanges. That simplicity, he said, enabled people without generational wealth or institutional access to enter financial markets on their own terms.
Furthermore, he contrasted this with his experience in traditional finance, where access to wealth-building tools often comes with a high barrier.
“Typically, the wealth arm, individuals might need to have X amount of dollars, let’s say it’s a million dollars. And then you get access to a bunch of different services and tactics that can turn that 1 million potentially into 2 million,” Dickinson explained.
On the other hand, Bitcoin allows anyone to enter the space with just a small amount of money, whether a few dollars, a hundred, or a thousand, and potentially turn it into a significant amount.
But that dynamic is changing. Institutional players have become central to the market. Dickinson pointed to Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) as a sign of how quickly the center of gravity has shifted.
From Static Asset to Productive Infrastructure
At the same time, Dickinson said Bitcoin has fulfilled its role as a store of value, citing its stability and comparisons to gold. But he no longer sees it as static. Over the past two years, Bitcoin-native layers and protocols have begun reshaping their purpose from storing value to productive infrastructure akin to DeFi.
“And that’s where the rise of Bitcoin DeFi can really start to become something that’s more practical right now,” he explained.
Dickinson also described the current moment as both a turning point and a foundational building phase. While Bitcoin is gaining more notoriety through global adoption, he believes the real activity lies in what’s being built. Significant development is happening across crypto, but the activity within the Bitcoin ecosystem, in particular, stands out.
“I think it’s a really exciting time to really be a part of both the Bitcoin ecosystem but
the broader ecosystem as well,” he opined.
Dickinson believes Bitcoin’s future lies beyond its role as a store of value. He foresees Bitcoin becoming part of the foundational infrastructure for more complex systems. That doesn’t mean it will replace fiat. In fact, he pointed to price volatility as a key reason Bitcoin remains impractical for everyday payments.
“If you go to the grocery store, do you really want… something that costs $5 for you to have $5, but potentially by the time you get to the checkout, it’s… $4.50… or $6.50? That instability in terms of price is a challenge,” he said.
AI, Automation, and the Case for Bitcoin
When it comes to discussing the future, it’s hard to disregard artificial intelligence. Undeniably, AI systems are becoming embedded in everyday workflows. As their presence expands, they’re also giving rise to a new kind of economy — one where decisions, transactions, and coordination increasingly take place between non-human agents.
Dickinson acknowledged the fact that machines are already transacting and making real-time decisions without human input. These agents don’t have nationality, legal identity, or bank accounts. They also don’t require a financial system that relies on permissioned infrastructure.
While he noted that such systems are still in their early stages, Dickinson believes Bitcoin’s role as a final settlement layer in an AI-driven economy is worth taking seriously. Unlike fiat or many altcoins, Bitcoin doesn’t depend on corporate trust, central coordination, or access-controlled APIs. It can support machine-to-machine payments, and through tools like the Lightning Network, it can facilitate microtransactions at scale.
“And that’s where Bitcoin comes in. It’s simple, it’s secure, it’s unchanging. It doesn’t rely on corporate entities. And that’s really important for AI agents or autonomous organizations to an extent,” he argued.
Bitcoin’s Regional Trajectory May Be Shifting
When asked which regions are most likely to go all-in on Bitcoin over the next few decades, Dickinson admitted that his answer has shifted in recent months. A few months ago, he said he would have pointed decisively to emerging markets — citing regions like Africa, South America, Central America, and parts of Southeast Asia.
“They had some kind of, or they do have some ever-present challenges that cryptocurrency and blockchain technology can help to solve, whether that’s connectivity, whether that’s monetary means or both,” he said.
He highlighted Nigeria as a standout case, referencing data showing that around half of its population under the age of 35 engages with crypto regularly. That trend, he said, reflects both the population’s youth and its appetite for risk.
More recently, however, he’s been watching developments in the United States. He referenced executive orders under the Trump administration, the formation of a crypto task force, and the proposal to treat Bitcoin as a strategic reserve asset. While he remained cautious about political promises, Dickinson acknowledged that the US has the capacity to pivot quickly when motivated.
“If they do want to change something, they will because there’s been a history of it,” Dickinson stated.
The US may no longer be trailing. If it follows through on recent policy signals, it could become a lead driver of adoption at scale.