Coinbase (COIN) Stock: Company Launches AI-Powered Crypto Wallets

TLDR

• Coinbase rolled out Agentic Wallets on Wednesday, letting AI agents trade crypto and manage funds autonomously
• The system uses x402 protocol which has handled 50 million transactions since launch
• AI bots can rebalance DeFi portfolios automatically with preset spending limits and security controls
• Support includes Ethereum layer-2 Base and Solana networks with gasless transaction options
• Lightning Labs and Crypto.com also released AI agent tools this week

Coinbase introduced Agentic Wallets on Wednesday, creating the first wallet infrastructure designed for autonomous AI agents. The new feature lets AI bots manage crypto independently, execute trades, and handle decentralized finance positions without user approval.

The wallets run on Coinbase’s x402 payment protocol. This system enables autonomous crypto payments and has processed 50 million transactions since its 2024 debut.

Coinbase Developer Platform programmers Erik Reppel and Josh Nickerson said current AI agents can answer questions but struggle with financial transactions. “The next generation of agents won’t just advise — they’ll act,” they wrote.

Coinbase Global, Inc., COIN

Users establish permissions and controls upfront. After setup, agents monitor DeFi positions and rebalance portfolios around the clock. If an agent spots a better yield opportunity at 3am, it rebalances automatically.

How the System Works

The technology supports EVM chains and Solana initially. Base layer-2 users get access to gasless transactions.

Security features include programmable spending limits and session caps. Private keys remain in secure Coinbase infrastructure, separated from AI prompts and language models.

The x402 protocol powers the wallet system. Named after HTTP 402 “Payment Required” status code, it handles machine-to-machine payments. Agents use it to buy API keys, purchase compute power, and access data streams autonomously.

Coinbase upgraded the protocol to version 2.0 in December 2024. The update added support for traditional payment rails. The company launched the x402 Foundation with Cloudflare in September to drive adoption.

Building on Previous Tools

Agentic Wallets advance Coinbase’s AgentKit from November 2024. AgentKit let developers embed wallets during agent creation. The new system offers plug-and-play functionality for existing AI agents.

The company released an agent-wallet-skills repository with basic commands. Users can check balances, fund wallets, and deploy capabilities through a command-line interface.

Coinbase recently unveiled Payments MCP, enabling language models like Claude and Gemini to access blockchain wallets directly.

Competitors Enter the Space

Lightning Labs released tools Wednesday for AI agents on Bitcoin’s Lightning Network. Their L402 protocol lets agents transact and run nodes without accessing private keys.

Crypto.com CEO Kris Marszalek launched ai.com on Monday. The platform creates personal AI agents for tasks like email management and subscription cancellations.

Circle CEO Jeremy Allaire predicted billions of AI agents will use crypto for payments within five years. Former Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao called crypto the native currency for AI agents.

Google introduced its Universal Commerce Protocol on January 11. The system uses Google Pay for US dollar transactions in agentic commerce.

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