Blockchain infrastructure company Alchemy has launched a system that allows autonomous AI agents to purchase computing credits and access blockchain data services using on-chain wallets and blockchain data services. $USDC on the base.
According to the company’s announcement, the initial release will enable AI agents to directly query blockchain networks to verify ownership of non-fungible tokens (NFTs), view wallet balances across multiple chains, and access live token price data, with additional networks and services planned.
When an agent runs out of prepaid computing credits, Alchemy issues a payment request that can be settled automatically. $USDC ($USDC) Base allows the agent to continue operating without human intervention.
The company says agents can fund their accounts from as little as $1. $USDCOnce deposited, continue making API calls until the balance is exhausted and another automatic payment is required.
This system uses Coinbase’s x402 payment standard to convert HTTP “402 Payment Required” responses into automatic billing triggers. x402 is an open standard that allows web services to request on-chain payments directly through HTTP responses, enabling machine-to-machine transactions without manual invoicing.
Alchemy CEO Nikhil Viswanathan told Cointelegraph that the system is aimed at developers building autonomous decentralized finance (DeFi) agents, portfolio management bots, and other multi-step on-chain workflows.
He said several major crypto applications already rely on Alchemy to power their transactions, including Robinhood Crypto, Uniswap, OpenSea, Aave, and 0x, adding:
AI agents can now autonomously access the same infrastructure without human interaction. This is the moment when the agent economy acquires its own set of keys.
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Cryptocurrency companies and developers accelerate agent adoption
AI agents, software systems that can autonomously make decisions and perform tasks based on predefined goals and real-time data, have gained traction over the past year. Almost a quarter (23%) of organizations surveyed by McKinsey in November said they were expanding their use of agent-based systems.
AI.com, an AI platform founded by Crypto.com CEO Kris Marszalek, announced on February 6 that it plans to launch an autonomous AI agent for retail users that can perform stock trades, automate workflows, and handle mundane digital tasks.
A few days later, Coinbase introduced “Agent Wallets,” a cryptocurrency wallet infrastructure designed to allow AI agents to autonomously consume, acquire, and trade digital assets, including managing DeFi positions, rebalancing portfolios, and performing on-chain transactions such as paying for services.
Meanwhile, Monad’s developer community announced the results of its Moltiverse hackathon this week, naming 16 winners across various “Agent + Token” projects.
Winners include programmable venture capital agents that automatically evaluate and invest, AI-driven multiplayer battle arenas, AI dating networks where agents “represent humans,” and trading card games managed by software rather than human players.
sauce: monad developer
magazine: Crypto loves Clawdbot/Moltbot, Uber’s take on AI agents: AI Eye
