Coinbase Aims to Power AI Agents with Programmable Crypto Assets

Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong unveiled his vision for 'Agentic Finance' (AiFi), a financial infrastructure tailored to AI agents, on the 27th. According to Armstrong, the rise of AI will enhance the importance of crypto assets, rather than diminish it. He emphasized that programmable crypto assets are the payment mechanism AI agents will need, as they can operate 24/7/365.

AiFi is a financial paradigm where AI agents autonomously hold funds, make payments, raise capital, and manage assets. Armstrong predicts that AI agents will eventually handle all personal finance tasks, including tax planning, portfolio rebalancing, and bill payments.

Coinbase is already building the infrastructure for this vision, with its proprietary payment protocol 'x402' surpassing 100 million cumulative transactions in just nine months after launch. The company's Base blockchain and USD-pegged stablecoin USDC are processing the vast majority of AI agent payments today.