AI and blockchain technology will spark “the next revolution in business,” according to millionaire Kevin O'Leary, as AI will be able to make retail purchases autonomously and use blockchain technology to handle payments.
In a three-minute video posted on X Saturday, the Shark Tank co-host and venture capitalist said that blockchain will power an incoming wave of AI-driven transactions, handling everything from orders at Walmart and Target to burger shops and cafes:
“You simply talk into your phone and say, 'I'd like a tall, low-fat cup, please. I'll be there in 90 seconds.' That's it.”
“What happens is the AI analyzes where you are, looking at the geography of the retailer [is nearby] “It identifies this and then uses blockchain to create a digital payment system for a long, low-fat latte,” O'Leary explained.
“It already knows who you are. So the retailer has your name on it when you walk in,” he added.
Artificial Intelligence is about to collide with blockchain and change everything. Imagine ordering your coffee by voice, AI finds the coffee shop, and blockchain technology processes your payment instantly.
This is the next revolution in business. Faster, smarter and fully connected on-chain. The question is: who builds it? pic.twitter.com/IWyTgY2tga
– Kevin O’Leary aka Mr. Terrific (@kevinolearytv) October 19, 2025
Mr. Terrific is waiting to find the winning solution
However, O'Leary said he has yet to find a solution that can handle millions of retail transactions simultaneously at a low cost.
He said current solutions like Ethereum cannot do this because they require transactions in a linear manner, resulting in delays and exorbitant fees during peak traffic.
“It's a long highway down the road to a toll road to authenticate a transaction, and when there are too many people on the highway at the same time, they get stuck at the toll, and they get stuck.”
“So, we don't have the technology yet, at least one that can do what I just described,” O'Leary added.
However, there are already solutions to the problem described by O'Leary, known as directed acyclic graphs, which process transactions in a spiderweb-like structure rather than arranging them into single blocks.
Hedera and Nano are among the cryptocurrency solutions that use this architecture, although they have only captured a small portion of the user base seen on major chains like Ethereum and Solana.
O'Leary said he's looking for the first project to achieve this at scale, adding: “This is a fascinating career because Walmarts, Targets, and the burger guys need millions of transactions a day, all independent, all going through tolls at the same time.”
Funny enough, just last year O'Leary criticized people for spending $5.50 on coffee and $15 on sandwiches when they can make them at home for a fraction of the price.
Agentic AI is already helping people with everyday tasks
Agentic AI is already helping people with everyday tasks, from searching and ordering to reminding people of daily tasks.
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Speaking to Cointelegraph, Kyle Okamoto, chief technology officer at decentralized infrastructure platform Atheer, said his wife built a proxy AI solution to remind her when to stock up on groceries.
“She simply talks to her agent regularly and says, ‘Hey, we're out of milk,' and he tracks that and eventually says, 'Hey, we're out of milk every week to eight days.' “You haven't told me yet, but maybe we should add milk to your shopping list.”
Okamoto said her artificial agent can sort items across Target, Whole Foods and Amazon, and even track what products are on sale. “Sometimes, kids' yogurt is $1 cheaper at Target because of sales compared to Whole Foods.
“She didn't want to keep checking all these sites to get the whole list, so she asked the agent to do that and give price alerts.”
Now all that's needed is a blockchain solution that handles the payment side of things, according to O'Leary.
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