A new Internet Computer governance proposal is drawing attention to the possibility of bringing Basic Attention Token (BAT) into ICP’s chain-key token framework as ckBAT, potentially expanding the range of Ethereum-based assets that can be used within the network.
Proposal #143606 puts forward the addition of BAT to the ckERC20 system. If approved and implemented, BAT could be represented on ICP on a 1:1 basis with the underlying Ethereum asset. ICP’s existing chain-key token architecture already supports assets including ckUSDC and ckUSDT, with the underlying tokens held through canister-controlled infrastructure rather than a conventional centralised custodian.
The proposal has attracted attention partly because of its possible implications for machine-to-machine payments. AI agents increasingly require access to external services such as application programming interfaces, data, computing resources and digital content. A token that can operate within ICP’s environment could potentially be used by software-controlled applications to make and receive payments without requiring a person to approve every transaction.
That possibility fits with ICP’s broader push towards applications in which smart contracts, computing and digital assets operate together. The network’s roadmap describes Chain Fusion as a way for canister smart contracts to interact with assets and systems on networks including Bitcoin, Ethereum and Solana.
There is, however, an important distinction between what the proposal could enable and what has already been demonstrated. The ability for an ICP-based AI agent to use ckBAT for automated payments would depend on the token integration being approved, implemented and supported by applications. The proposal itself should therefore be viewed as a potential development rather than evidence that large-scale autonomous BAT payments are already taking place on ICP.
ICP’s chain-key token architecture is designed to provide access to assets from other networks without relying on traditional wrapped-token arrangements. According to ICP’s developer documentation, chain-key tokens are backed 1:1 by their underlying assets, while minting and burning are handled through the network’s canister infrastructure.
The potential addition of BAT would extend that model to an asset closely associated with the digital advertising sector. BAT was created as the native asset of the Brave ecosystem, where it has been used in connection with advertising, user rewards and creator support. Bringing BAT into ICP’s token framework could therefore create another route for the asset to interact with ICP-based applications.
The proposed use cases around AI agents are particularly interesting because such systems may require frequent, relatively small payments. An autonomous application could, in principle, pay for data, software services or other machine-readable resources through programmable payment logic. Whether BAT would become a practical choice for those transactions would depend on factors including adoption, fees, liquidity and the applications built around it.
ICP already provides infrastructure aimed at running software directly on the network. Its developer documentation describes canisters as the core execution environment for applications, while its Chain Fusion technology allows those applications to interact with assets and services beyond ICP.
The proposal therefore represents a possible extension of an existing direction rather than a completely new capability. ICP already supports several chain-key assets, including ckBTC, ckETH and a growing range of ckERC20 tokens.
For BAT, the attraction would be access to another execution environment and potentially new applications. For ICP, another widely recognised Ethereum asset could strengthen the range of assets available to developers building financial and automated services on the network.
The bigger question is whether these integrations can translate into sustained usage. Adding an asset to a network does not automatically create demand. Developers need reasons to use it, users need liquidity and applications need practical use cases that justify the integration.
Proposal #143606 has consequently sparked a broader discussion about where chain-key assets could fit in an increasingly automated internet. The idea of software holding assets, purchasing services and settling payments without a human intervening in every transaction remains an emerging use case. Whether BAT becomes part of that model on ICP will ultimately depend on the governance decision and the applications that follow.
Credit: @ICPLEGEND1966 / Welsh ICP Conviction
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