KEY FACTS: MoonPay, a leading cryptocurrency payments and stablecoin infrastructure provider, launched MoonPay Agents, a non-custodial and permissionless software layer built on its MoonPay CLI developer tool. This innovation enables autonomous AI agents (agentic AI) to create and manage wallets, hold digital assets, particularly stablecoins, fund them via MoonPay's fiat-to-crypto on-ramps after initial user verification, and execute on-chain transactions, swaps, portfolio management, and risk assessments independently without ongoing human intervention or MoonPay taking custody. The launch aligns with surging interest in AI agents, projected to reach a $236 billion market by 2034, and supports standards like Ethereum’s ERC-8004 and Coinbase’s x402 for AI-blockchain integration, while MoonPay, serving over 30 million users and 500+ enterprises, is reportedly pursuing funding at a $5 billion valuation amid early talks with Intercontinental Exchange.
Source: Moonpay/ X
MoonPay Launches 'Agents,' Giving AI Systems Wallets and On-chain Cash Flow
MoonPay, a leading provider of cryptocurrency payments and stablecoin infrastructure, has unveiled a new product designed to propel the integration of artificial intelligence with blockchain technology. On February 24, 2026, the company announced the launch of "MoonPay Agents", a non-custodial software layer that equips AI systems, specifically "agentic AI," with their own wallets, enabling them to autonomously hold, manage, and transact digital assets on-chain without ongoing human involvement.
This development marks a significant step toward what industry observers are calling the "agent economy," where autonomous AI agents can independently execute economic decisions, from trading to payments, powered by programmable blockchain rails. MoonPay's innovation addresses a core limitation in current AI capabilities, that is, while advanced AI models excel at reasoning, analysis, and generating recommendations, they have historically lacked the financial infrastructure to act on those insights economically.
MoonPay Agents functions as a permissionless, non-custodial tool built on the company's existing developer toolkit, including the MoonPay CLI (command-line interface). The process begins with a human user who verifies their identity and funds an associated wallet through MoonPay's established fiat-to-crypto on-ramps. Once set up, the AI agent assumes control, capable of creating wallets, holding assets (particularly stablecoins), executing on-chain transactions, performing swaps across chains, managing portfolios, conducting risk assessments, and even converting back to fiat as needed. Importantly, MoonPay does not take custody of the assets at any point, preserving user control and decentralization principles.
Ivan Soto-Wright, founder and CEO of MoonPay, described MoonPay Agents as a key enabler for bridging this gap, allowing algorithms to interact seamlessly with decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols, automated trading strategies, and other blockchain applications.
The launch arrives amid surging interest in agentic AI across both crypto and traditional sectors. Forecasts from the World Economic Forum suggest the global AI agents market could swell to $236 billion by 2034, fueled by "agentic commerce"—AI-driven tools for shopping, decision-making, and transactions. A recent McKinsey survey indicated that nearly a quarter of companies are already expanding their deployment of such agents, signaling accelerating corporate adoption.
In the cryptocurrency space, this trend underscores the growing role of stablecoins and blockchain networks in facilitating machine-to-machine (M2M) payments, especially for cross-border or programmable scenarios. MoonPay Agents leverages the company's extensive infrastructure, which supports over 500 enterprise customers and more than 30 million users worldwide. Features include virtual accounts in major currencies (USD, EUR, GBP), recurring buys to maintain funding, direct fiat-to-crypto ramps, compatibility with protocols like x402 for automated payments, and real-time cross-chain trading.
Meanwhile, emerging standards such as Ethereum’s ERC-8004 (for verifiable on-chain identities for agents) and Coinbase’s x402 (for internet-based stablecoin payments) are paving the way for standardized AI-crypto interactions. Other players, including Crypto.com's ai.com platform, are developing autonomous agents capable of financial tasks, while collaborations like those involving decentralized AI networks further highlight the convergence of these technologies.
MoonPay's move also comes at a time when the company is reportedly exploring significant growth opportunities. There are reports of early discussions between Intercontinental Exchange (parent of the New York Stock Exchange) and MoonPay regarding a potential investment, with the firm said to be seeking funding at a $5 billion valuation.
MoonPay is positioning itself as the "onramp for the agent economy," aiming to capture high-frequency transaction flows from potentially millions of AI agents embedded in trading, gaming, commerce, and treasury management workflows. This could transform stablecoins and on-chain settlement into the default rails for AI-driven finance, reducing reliance on traditional intermediaries and enabling truly autonomous economic activity.
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