XDC Network co-founder Atul Khekade shared his vision for the future of institutional finance, real-time payments, and agentic AI in an interview with The Fintech Times at Sibos in Miami. He explained why traditional banking infrastructure may struggle to meet the demands of machine-speed commerce and how blockchain can help bridge the gap.
XDC Network: Built for Institutional Finance
Mr. Atul Khekade explained that XDC Network was established nearly a decade ago to address the need for real-time settlements, cross-border payments, document transfers, and financial workflows.
The network focuses on supporting financial institutions across trade finance, asset tokenization, and real-time payments. During the interview, Khekade stated that more than $1.7 billion in assets had been tokenized on XDC Network, enabling round-the-clock trading.
Why Consumer Demand Is Driving Financial Transformation
According to Mr. Atul Khekade, consumer behaviour is a major force behind the shift toward faster financial services. Just as the internet and mobile applications transformed how people access information and services, AI assistants are changing how consumers interact with businesses.
People are moving beyond asking AI for recommendations. They increasingly expect AI agents to complete tasks, from planning travel to booking services and making payments.
This shift could reshape banking, insurance, and commerce, creating demand for financial infrastructure that supports transactions at machine speed.
Why Agentic AI Needs Blockchain
Mr. Atul Khekade highlighted the limitations of traditional banking systems, many of which rely on decades-old infrastructure with additional layers built over time to improve user experience.
As AI agents begin acting on behalf of people, financial systems will need capabilities such as instant identity verification (KYC), transaction validation, spending limits, and dispute resolution.
He argued that blockchain and digital asset infrastructure can provide a dedicated transaction layer for the emerging AI economy, while traditional banking systems continue to safeguard customers' savings.
This separation could help institutions support AI-driven commerce without unnecessarily exposing core banking infrastructure to new risks.
XDC Network and the Evolution of Enterprise Blockchain
Discussing the growing number of institutional blockchain initiatives, including Swift Ledger, Khekade highlighted XDC Network's private subnet infrastructure for enterprise use cases.
He explained that this infrastructure can support the tokenization of bank deposits, bonds, and other assets while enabling interoperability with other systems.
Rather than viewing the growth of competing blockchain solutions as a threat, Khekade sees it as an opportunity to expand institutional adoption and create greater demand for interoperable financial infrastructure.
The Road Ahead for XDC Network
The interview underscored a broader shift in financial services: institutions are increasingly exploring tokenization, digital assets, and infrastructure designed for real-time transactions.
As agentic AI advances from answering questions to executing transactions, the ability to provide secure, programmable, and efficient payment infrastructure could become increasingly important.
XDC Network aims to support this transition by connecting blockchain technology with institutional finance, trade finance, tokenization, and the emerging machine-speed economy.
Watch the original interview: Atul Khekade speaks with Mark Walker, Editorial Director of The Fintech Times, about XDC Network and the future of financial infrastructure.
Original video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-O_tfh0_Kc
Source: The Fintech Times interview with Atul Khekade at Sibos in Miami. The $1.7 billion tokenization figure is as stated by Khekade during the interview.
