Coinbase AI Agents Now Use Stablecoin Wallets

Coinbase says AI agents use stablecoin wallets as smart wallets launched on Base Sepolia with passkeys and no seed phrases.

Coinbase says artificial intelligence agents operating inside the company already use stablecoin wallets to send and receive payments, as it rolls out new smart wallet and embedded wallet tools aimed at simplifying onchain access for developers and mainstream applications.

Armstrong Introduces Stablecoin Wallets to Fund AI Agents

 CEO Brian Armstrong said the firm is equipping these agents with stablecoin wallets to manage funds. “We’re giving them all stablecoin wallets,” Armstrong stated.

He added, “If you really want to treat them like digital employees, they need to have a corporate card.”

Armstrong explained that companies cannot issue traditional corporate cards to non-human entities. He said crypto wallets provide an alternative that allows software agents to hold and spend digital money.Companies can fund and monitor stablecoin wallets, which enables spending oversight.

Coinbase has not disclosed how many AI agents are currently using wallets. The comments were shared alongside broader product updates related to Coinbase’s wallet infrastructure.

Smart Wallet Rolls Out on Base Sepolia Testnet

Coinbase says onboarding remains a barrier to wider onchain adoption. The company points to seed phrases, multiple signing steps, and gas fees as common friction points. It says these hurdles often discourage new users.

In a February 29, 2024 post tied to Base and ETHDenver, Coinbase outlined new wallet tools.

The post, written by Will Robinson and Max Branzburg, described efforts to make wallets easier to use. The company said the goal is to reduce setup complexity and improve portability.

Coinbase introduced a “smart wallet” within the Coinbase Wallet SDK. The company says users can create a wallet in a decentralized app using a passkey.

It says this removes the need for a seed phrase and avoids downloads or browser extensions. The smart wallet is currently available on the Base Sepolia testnet.

Related Reading: Coinbase Introduces GEX Metric, Warns of Volatility Between $60K and $90K

Embedded Wallets and Onchain Payment Automation

In particular, Coinbase described embedded wallets powered by Wallet as a Service. The company added that developers can integrate wallets directly into their apps.

These wallets can support email and social login flows.

The firm stated that embedded wallets allow applications to manage user experience from start to finish.

It said developers can white label these wallets and tailor them to specific products. An early access program is available, though no public launch date was shared.

Coinbase linked these wallet tools to AI agent payments and automation. Stablecoin wallets can assign funds to agents and apply spending rules.

Transactions can also be logged for review. The company has not provided details on internal policies for agent budgets.