Australia 40-Year Outlook Cites AI, Omits Crypto
Treasury's new report highlights AI as a key economic driver but excludes digital assets from its strategic analysis.
Key points
- Treasury's 40-year outlook lists AI as a key transition but omits crypto entirely.
- Coinbase argues the report ignores the financial infrastructure required for AI agents.
- Digital finance innovations are estimated to generate 24 billion Australian dollars in annual gains.
Australia's Treasury released a 40-year economic outlook that names artificial intelligence as a primary driver of future growth. The document identifies five major transitions that will reshape the national economy over the coming decades.
The report completely omits any reference to cryptocurrency or digital assets. This exclusion stands out given the increasing relevance of tokenized finance in global markets.
AI leads five major transitions
The Intergenerational Report lists agentic AI systems as significantly more capable and autonomous. These systems now surpass human-level performance on several specific benchmarks.
Geopolitical conflicts, an aging population, and the shift to clean energy form the other four transitions. Australia also faces an industrial transformation toward service-based economic models.
Coinbase criticizes the report's gap
John O’Loghlen, director of Coinbase Australia, stated that the report misses the financial infrastructure needed for AI agents. He argued that these systems require robust digital payment rails to function effectively.
Cointelegraph notes that previous reports also ignored digital assets. The Reserve Bank of Australia has recently increased its focus on tokenized finance despite this lack of mention in the long-term outlook.
Digital finance gains estimated at 24 billion
The Digital Finance Cooperative Research Centre estimates annual economic gains from digital finance innovations at 24 billion Australian dollars. This figure represents a significant portion of potential national productivity growth.
A separate Treasury report called the Financial Innovation Strategy does address the link between AI and financial infrastructure. It notes that agentic systems will increase demand for real-time, interoperable payment systems.
