MoonPay, a leading infrastructure provider for crypto payments and stablecoins, has officially entered the race to build the "agent economy" by launching a specialized software layer called "MoonPay Agents." This innovative tool is designed to provide artificial intelligence systems with direct access to blockchain-based financial networks. By doing so, MoonPay is effectively giving AI agents the ability to independently hold, manage, and move digital assets, moving beyond their traditional roles as mere data analysts or recommendation engines.
The "MoonPay Agents" product is a non-custodial, permissionless tool. It allows autonomous AI agents to create their own digital wallets, fund them with stablecoins or other crypto assets, and execute on-chain transactions without the need for human intervention. According to Ivan Soto-Wright, the founder and CEO of MoonPay, while AI agents have long possessed the ability to "reason" and process complex information, they have historically lacked the "economic infrastructure" required to act on their decisions. This new launch aims to bridge that gap, providing the financial rails necessary for AI to participate in the decentralized finance (DeFi) ecosystem.
The launch comes at a time of significant growth for the AI agent sector. Research from the World Economic Forum suggests that the market for AI agents could reach a staggering $236 billion by 2034. This growth is expected to be fueled by "agentic commerce," where AI-powered tools handle everything from personalized shopping to complex financial trading. Corporate adoption is also on the rise; a McKinsey survey recently revealed that nearly 25% of companies are expanding their use of AI agents to streamline operations.
MoonPay isn't the only player in this field. The broader crypto industry is rapidly developing standards to support this shift. For instance, Ethereum’s ERC-8004 is being designed to give AI agents verifiable on-chain identities, while Coinbase has introduced the x402 protocol for automated stablecoin payments. MoonPay’s move also aligns with its own corporate growth; reports suggest the company is seeking capital at a $5 billion valuation, with interest even coming from traditional financial giants like Intercontinental Exchange (ICE). By integrating AI with programmable wallets, MoonPay is positioning itself at the intersection of two of the most transformative technologies of the decade.
Posted Using INLEO