Moonpay launches MoonPay Agents, a software layer designed to provide autonomous AI systems with their own blockchain-based financial identities. Unveiled on February 25, 2026, this non-custodial tool enables agentic AI to create wallets, hold digital assets, and execute complex onchain transactions without human intervention. By bridging the gap between algorithmic reasoning and capital infrastructure, MoonPay is positioning itself at the center of a burgeoning $236 billion market where software, not humans, becomes the primary driver of digital commerce. This shift allows AI systems to interact directly with decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols and stablecoin settlement rails, transforming them from mere analytical tools into active economic participants capable of managing their own cash flows and automated trading strategies.

• Autonomous systems gain the ability to hold and move capital independently, moving beyond simple data analysis to real-world economic execution.
• The integration of programmable wallets allows for the rise of "agentic commerce," where AI-powered tools can negotiate and settle transactions natively on the blockchain.
• Discover how emerging standards for verifiable onchain identities are providing the trust layer necessary for algorithms to operate in global financial markets.

The current limitation of most AI models is that they can "think" but cannot "buy." While an AI can recommend a trade or identify a supply chain inefficiency, a human must still sign the transaction. MoonPay Agents seeks to eliminate this friction by pairing agentic AI with non-custodial crypto infrastructure. Once funded, these agents can navigate the financial world permissionlessly, utilizing onchain transactions to fulfill their programmed objectives.

This evolution is part of a broader industry trend toward the "everything app" and autonomous finance. It mirrors recent milestones like TON Pay’s effort to turn Telegram into a checkout layer and Oobit’s launch of direct crypto-to-bank transfers. As MoonPay CEO Ivan Soto-Wright notes, AI agents require "capital infrastructure" to act economically. By providing that infrastructure, MoonPay is essentially giving AI a "bank account" that operates at the speed of the internet.

The scale of this shift is difficult to overstate. According to the World Economic Forum, the market for AI agents could reach $236 billion by 2034. We are already seeing the first signs of "agentic commerce," where AI-driven shopping bots negotiate prices and execute orders. For these systems, traditional banking rails are often too slow and restrictive. Blockchain networks and stablecoins provide the programmable, 24/7 settlement layer that autonomous agents require.

Corporate adoption is accelerating, with nearly a quarter of companies surveyed by McKinsey expanding their use of agentic systems. This institutional interest is reflected in the rumors that the Intercontinental Exchange (ICE)—the parent company of the New York Stock Exchange—is considering a major investment in MoonPay at a $5 billion valuation. This follows a wider trend of "smart money" moving into the space, such as Harvard's endowment rotating into Bitcoin ETFs.

For AI agents to be truly effective, they need more than just money; they need identity. Emerging standards like Ethereum’s ERC-8004 are designed to provide AI agents with verifiable onchain identities, ensuring that other participants in the network can verify the agent's credentials and history. Similarly, Coinbase’s x402 protocol is being developed to enable automated stablecoin payments over the internet, creating a universal "language" for agent-to-agent transactions.

As Aave founder Stani Kulechov envisions a $50 trillion "abundance asset" boom through tokenization, the role of AI agents becomes even more critical. These autonomous systems will be the ones managing the complex yields and collateral flows of a tokenized world. With MoonPay Agents, the infrastructure is finally catching up to the imagination of the developers, paving the way for a world where your AI doesn't just manage your schedule—it manages your wealth.

Quotes and Expert Opinions

"AI agents can reason, but they cannot act economically without capital infrastructure. Our product is designed to be permissionless and non-custodial, giving these agents the tools they need to function as independent economic actors on the blockchain." — Ivan Soto-Wright, Founder and CEO of MoonPay

FAQs

What is the difference between a standard AI and an agentic AI?
A standard AI generally provides information or generates content based on prompts. An agentic AI is designed with "agency," meaning it can break down complex goals into smaller tasks and execute them independently. With tools like MoonPay Agents, this includes the ability to perform onchain transactions and manage digital assets.

How does MoonPay Agents ensure the security of the funds?
MoonPay Agents is a non-custodial tool. This means that the AI agent—and by extension its creator—maintains full control over the private keys. MoonPay provides the software layer for the agent to interact with the blockchain, but it does not hold or manage the funds on behalf of the user.

What can an AI agent actually buy or sell on the blockchain?
AI agents can interact with any decentralized protocol. This includes swapping tokens on decentralized exchanges, providing liquidity in DeFi pools, or purchasing NFTs and tokenized real-world assets. As long as there is an onchain interface, an agentic AI can theoretically engage with it.

Why is blockchain better for AI payments than traditional credit cards?
Traditional banking systems require human identity verification and often have "gatekeepers" that block automated or high-frequency transactions. Blockchain is programmable and permissionless, allowing AI to execute micro-payments or complex smart contracts instantly without needing a human to click "approve" every time.

Is there a way to verify if an onchain transaction was made by a human or an AI?
Standards like ERC-8004 are currently being developed to provide AI agents with verifiable onchain identities. This would allow other users and protocols to see that a specific wallet is operated by an autonomous agent, which can be useful for security, auditing, and compliance purposes.