Executive Summary: The Financial System at an Inflection Point

The financial system stands at an inflection point. By 2035, AI agents will conduct trillions in autonomous transactions, programmable money will enforce its own rules, and algorithms will control more wealth than humans. This transformation—already underway with $15 billion in AI agent market capitalization and 134 countries exploring digital currencies—will fundamentally redefine money, power, and wealth concentration. Korea, leveraging its semiconductor dominance and digital banking leadership, has a narrow window to position itself as a global AI finance powerhouse.

1. Where Money Exists: From Atoms to Algorithms

1.1 The Death of Traditional Money

Money is abandoning its physical form at unprecedented speed. China's digital yuan processed 7 trillion yuan ($986 billion) in transactions by June 2024, reaching 260 million wallets across 17 provinces. India's e-rupee grew 334% to ₹10.16 billion in circulation. The European Central Bank enters its final digital euro preparation phase in October 2025.These aren't experiments—they're the foundation of post-physical finance.

1.2 Tokenization Transforms Everything Tradeable

Asset tokenization is converting the entire financial system into programmable, 24/7 tradeable tokens. JPMorgan's Onyx platform has processed $300 billion in tokenized repo transactions, with BlackRock transferring money market fund shares to Barclays in under one second versus traditional one-day settlement.BlackRock's BUIDL fund accumulated $530 million in assets in under 40 days, becoming the largest tokenized fund globally.

2. Who Controls Money: The Algorithmic Takeover

2.1 Robo-Advisors Manage Trillions

The transfer of financial control from humans to machines is accelerating exponentially. Robo-advisors now manage over $2 trillion globally, with Vanguard Digital Advisor alone controlling $333 billion across 804,000 clients. Betterment grew 50% to $45.9 billion AUM in the high-rate environment, while Wealthfront expanded 77% driven by cash products.The market is projected to reach $7 trillion by 2035 based on current 31.3% annual growth rates.

3. Where Money Concentrates: The Infrastructure Oligarchy

3.1 AI Infrastructure Becomes the New Oil

The concentration of wealth in AI infrastructure defies historical precedent. NVIDIA's $4.277 trillion market capitalization makes it the world's most valuable company, controlling 98% of data center GPUs and 92% of discrete GPUs. The GPU-as-a-Service market will explode from $3.23 billion to $49.84 billion by 2032, a 35% compound annual growth rate.CoreWeave, a specialized GPU rental company, achieved a $35 billion valuation for its 2025 IPO after raising $14.5 billion.

3.2 Agent Economies Generate Autonomous Wealth

The AI agent economy has reached critical mass with $15 billion in market capitalization growing 222% in Q4 2024. Truth Terminal became the first AI millionaire, turning a $50,000 Bitcoin grant into a $20 million portfolio. The ai16z fund manages $25 million with an AI agent making investment decisions, reaching $250 million market cap in three weeks.Agent-to-agent transactions will reach trillions annually by 2035. Solana dominates with 56.48% market share, processing over 1,000 agent transactions per second.

4. Korea's AI Finance Transformation Strategy

4.1 Building on Semiconductor Supremacy

Korea's path to AI finance leadership runs through its semiconductor dominance. SK Hynix overtook Samsung as the world's #1 DRAM manufacturer with 36% global market share, controlling 46-50% of the high-bandwidth memory market critical for AI. Both companies are sold out through 2025, with SK Hynix delivering HBM4 samples six months ahead of schedule as NVIDIA's sole HBM3E supplier.This hardware control provides unmatched leverage in the AI economy.

4.2 Policy Recommendations for 2035 Leadership

5. Three Scenarios for 2035

Conclusion: The Ten-Year Transformation Window

The transformation of finance from human-controlled analog systems to AI-driven digital economies represents the most significant shift since the invention of money itself. By 2035, AI agents will manage trillions in assets, conduct complex negotiations, and make financial decisions affecting billions of people. The infrastructure emerging today—from CBDCs and stablecoins to DeFi protocols and quantum-resistant cryptography—will determine economic winners for generations.

Korea stands uniquely positioned to lead this transformation. Its semiconductor supremacy provides hardware control, digital banks offer implementation platforms, and the chaebol structure enables coordinated development. But the window is narrow. China's digital yuan processes nearly $1 trillion in transactions. The EU's MiCA framework attracts global stablecoin issuers. The US GENIUS Act positions America for digital dollar dominance.

The future of finance is not predetermined. The choices made today by policymakers, financial institutions, and technology companies will determine whether 2035 brings an era of unprecedented prosperity and financial inclusion—or concentration of power beyond anything previously imagined.Korea has perhaps 24 months to position itself among the winners. The infrastructure is ready. The capital exists. The technology is proven. What remains is the will to act decisively while the opportunity remains open.