Coinbase launches a crypto wallet built specifically for AI agents

YM Lee

Summary

Coinbase said it has launched the “Agentic Wallets” feature—dedicated crypto wallet infrastructure that enables AI agents to manage and trade assets autonomously.
The feature is built on AgentKit and the x402 payment protocol, and Coinbase says AI can automatically perform DeFi position monitoring, portfolio rebalancing, and payments for costs.
AI agents run on Ethereum Layer 2 Base, and industry figures expect the convergence of AI agents with crypto and stablecoins to drive everyday payments and the expansion of the machine economy.

Forecast Trend Report by Period

Coinbase has unveiled dedicated crypto (cryptocurrency) wallet infrastructure designed to let artificial intelligence (AI) agents manage assets and execute trades on their own. The move is being seen as a sign that AI has progressed beyond providing advice to carrying out actual on-chain actions.

According to Cointelegraph on the 11th (local time), Coinbase developers Erik Reppel and Josh Nickerson announced in a blog post that they had launched the “Agentic Wallets” feature. “Next-generation agents won’t just give advice—they will act,” they said, adding that “AI can monitor decentralized finance positions, rebalance portfolios, and pay for API access and computing resources.”

The feature is built on the “AgentKit” framework unveiled in November 2024. Developers can embed a crypto wallet into an AI agent, while users can pre-set permissions and limits so the agent can automatically manage liquidity positions and execute trades 24/7.

Payments are made via Coinbase’s dedicated protocol, “x402.” Designed for autonomous AI use cases, x402 has reportedly processed about 50 million transactions to date. The developers said “agents can obtain API keys, purchase computing resources, and autonomously pay for premium data streams and storage,” adding that it “lays the groundwork for a true machine economy.”

AI agents run on Base, Ethereum’s Layer 2 network. Coinbase said “agents can compare yields across protocols and automatically reallocate assets if they detect a better opportunity at 3 a.m.”

Momentum behind the convergence of AI and blockchain is also spreading. On the same day, Lightning Labs unveiled tools that allow AI agents to make payments on Bitcoin’s Layer 2 Lightning Network using the L402 standard. Kris Marszalek, CEO of Crypto.com, also introduced a personalized AI agent platform called “AI.com.”

Industry figures are also expressing optimism about combining AI agents with crypto (cryptocurrency). Jeremy Allaire, CEO of Circle, previously forecast that “within 3 to 5 years, billions of AI agents will carry out everyday payments using stablecoins.” Changpeng Zhao, former CEO of Binance, has also said that “the base currency for AI agents will be crypto.”