Galaxy’s Max Bareiss says DeFi is built for agentic trading

Galaxy Digital's head of lending argues AI agents can borrow, trade, and repay onchain without ever needing a human on the other side The future of trading may not involve a trader at all. That’s the pitch from Max Bareiss, Head of Lending at Galaxy Digital, who says decentralized finance is positioned to lead the rise of agentic trading. His reasoning is simple. Software agents can borrow, trade, and repay onchain without a human counterparty approving each step. Traditional finance, with its phone calls, credit desks, and business hours, was not designed for customers who never sleep and never pick up the phone. Why agents and DeFi fit together Agentic trading refers to autonomous, AI-driven trading carried out by software agents. Bareiss made his comments in a conversation on November 9, 2026. He pointed to a specific set of capabilities. Agents can borrow assets, execute trades, short positions, and handle repayments without human oversight. What makes this work is how DeFi lending is structured. Liquidation thresholds are set in advance and coded into the protocol. Liquidity sits onchain, available to anyone who meets the collateral rules. Compare that with a traditional prime...