HashKey Xiao Feng: AI Agent needs to be given a digital identity to enhance credibility Author: Hong Kong Wen Wei Po reporter Chen Jianxing ● Xiao Feng (left) recently accepted an interview with Chen Nanming, the host of "The Theory of Economic". Hong Kong Wen Wei Po reporter Wan Shuangling's photo shows that there is a "two faced" relationship between AI and blockchain, until the popularity of AI Agent OpenClaw. AI can independently work for humans and replace some processes, but at the same time, it highlights the security issues of AI agents. Empowering them with digital identities by blockchain is one effective way to manage AI agents. HashKey Chairman and CEO Xiao Feng recently stated in an interview with "Economic Forum" that he is not an expert in artificial intelligence technology, but from the perspective of blockchain and digital financial infrastructure, AI and encryption technology are gradually moving towards deep integration. With the rapid rise of cutting-edge AI agents such as OpenClaw, AI agents in the future may no longer be just tools, but require economic entities with independent "identities" and "native wallet accounts", and blockchain technology happens to become a key tool for binding digital identities with AI agents. When it comes to the identity system of AI agents, Xiao Feng believes that in the future, all AI agents will have independent "identities". However, this "identity" is not based on the real-world identity card system, but is implemented through blockchain based address and soul bound tokens, which is a technically adapted solution. He pointed out that it is obviously unrealistic for artificial intelligence agents to use the human ID system of the real world, and mentioned that the founder of Ethereum proposed the concept of "soul bound tokens" seven years ago, which was also an extension of the concept of "Non Fungible Tokens (NFTs)" when they first emerged. Because each NFT is unique, through NFT and blockchain technology, a digital identity can be bound to each AI agent. If AI agents start to be independent of humans and create economic value, they will definitely need an account, and currently the only form of adaptation is a digital wallet, rather than an account opened for the agent through a bank. ”Xiao Feng said. He explained that in the AI big model stage, the tokens purchased by users through traditional bank accounts can be consumed to call the big model services developed in China. However, when entering the free payment scenario between agents, the traditional bank account system cannot support it because it is limited by the number of account openings of multiple agents, unclear responsibility attribution, high payment costs, and low operational efficiency. It is reported that HashKey Group has joined the Agent Payment Protocol (AP2) technology alliance initiated by Google, and is exploring AI Agent payment systems with institutions such as PayPal, Circle, UnionPay International, and researching applications such as stablecoin payments, on chain identity, and AI Agent on chain settlement. In the future, each person may have 50 AI agents. Xiao Feng pointed out that in recent years, the consensus formed in exchanges with experts and scholars in the field of artificial intelligence is that AI and encryption technology (blockchain/cryptocurrency) are two sides of the same coin, and the two will ultimately be deeply integrated, mutually empowering, and complementary. He further cited the views of AI experts, pointing out that in the future, each person may have up to 50 AI agents, which will seamlessly penetrate into various aspects of our lives, from daily trivialities to complex decisions, comprehensively improving personal efficiency and quality of life. Hong Kong has the conditions to become the "Wall Street" of digital finance. Faced with competition from the global AI boom, Xiao Feng believes that Hong Kong has a unique advantage of "relying on the motherland". As long as it is well utilized, it can occupy a central position in the global digital economy map. He pointed out that from the Internet, blockchain to artificial intelligence, these three fields are basically the situation of the two strong countries of China and the United States. As a part of China, Hong Kong can fully leverage the vast talent, asset, and technological resources of the mainland, which is a unique advantage that is difficult for other regions in the world to replicate. With the positioning of a "super contact" and the advantages of the common law system under the "One Country, Two Systems" policy, Hong Kong is fully capable of achieving the goal of building a "global digital asset center" proposed by the SAR government, and even has the potential to gradually upgrade the global financial landscape from the past "New London" pattern to "New London", further elevating Hong Kong's position in the global financial system.