Cloudflare Needs 100M TPS from Crypto to Fix the Internet | CEO Matthew Prince

The internet’s long-standing ad-based business model is failing as AI agents transition the web from a search-based system to an answer-based one. By "strip mining" content without driving traffic back to original sources, these agents undermine the revenue streams that sustain journalists and creators. Cloudflare CEO Matthew Prince argues that the future of the internet depends on creating new economic structures, specifically high-volume micropayment systems that allow creators to be compensated for their knowledge rather than just their traffic. This shift requires both technical infrastructure—such as stablecoin-based payment rails capable of handling millions of transactions per second—and a cultural move toward rewarding original, valuable content over incendiary, rage-bait headlines. Ultimately, the goal is to foster a decentralized ecosystem where creators and businesses can thrive on a fair, sustainable playing field.