Coinbase Base Launches AI Tool to Connect Crypto Wallets to ChatGPT and Claude

TLDR

• Coinbase’s Base network launched Base MCP, a tool that connects crypto wallets to AI agents like ChatGPT and Claude.
• Users can send funds, swap tokens, check balances and interact with DeFi apps through simple chat prompts.
• At launch, Base MCP supports DeFi protocols including Uniswap, Morpho, Moonwell and Avantis.
• Every transaction must be confirmed by the user — the AI agent never has access to private keys.
• The x402 agentic payment protocol, which Base MCP expands, has processed just $1.1 million in volume over the past 30 days.

Coinbase’s Ethereum Layer 2 network Base has launched a new tool called Base MCP. It lets AI agents like ChatGPT and Claude interact directly with users’ crypto wallets and decentralized finance apps.

The tool uses the Model Context Protocol (MCP), a standard that allows AI systems to connect securely to external apps and tools.

Users can ask an AI agent to send funds, swap tokens, check balances or review transaction history — all from a chat interface, without using traditional crypto apps.

At launch, Base MCP works with several DeFi protocols on the Base network. These include lending platforms Morpho and Moonwell, decentralized exchange Uniswap, and perpetuals trading platform Avantis. The tool also supports Aerodrome, Bankr and Virtuals.

How the Transactions Work

When a user makes a request, the AI agent proposes an action in the chat. The Base wallet then opens in a new window, where the user can confirm or cancel the transaction.

The agent never holds private keys. Every action goes through the same review flow users see for any Base account request. Asset changes are also simulated before the user confirms.

Lincoln Murr, head of AI Product for Coinbase, said the Base Account travels with the user. He described it as different from “siloed agentic wallets that only live in a terminal,” saying trades, history and portfolio data sync whether you’re in the agent or in the Base app.

Base framed the launch as part of a push toward AI-native internet experiences. The company said it believes agentic chat interfaces will become an important way for users to discover and use onchain apps in the future.

Early Stage and Security Concerns

Base MCP also expands adoption of the x402 protocol, an agentic AI payment standard Coinbase launched in May 2025. Murr described MCP as a “nice wrapper” on top of existing APIs.

Together with x402, the tool is designed to enable small crypto micropayments by AI agents. However, x402 is still in its early stages. Data from x402scan shows the protocol processed just $1.1 million in volume over the past 30 days.

The use of AI agents for crypto payments has drawn criticism. A research paper from Google and several universities recently warned that AI agents should be treated as an untrusted system component. The researchers said agents must clearly separate instructions from untrusted data to prevent attackers from hiding malicious instructions.

Earlier this week, developer platform Socket found malware targeting crypto developers. The malware injected hidden instructions to hijack AI coding assistants.

Base has not commented on those specific security findings, but the company said every Base MCP transaction follows its standard user review process before any funds move.

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