AI agents are getting their own payment cards: Alchemy and Visa launch AgentCard
The cryptocurrency and blockchain technology market is taking another step toward automating financial operations. The Alchemy platform, in collaboration with Visa, has introduced an innovative service called AgentCard, which endows artificial intelligence with full payment capabilities. Now, AI agents can make online purchases on behalf of users, fully autonomously.
How AgentCard Works
The solution is integrated with Visa's Intelligent Commerce infrastructure, providing neural networks with a complete set of identification and payment data: a virtual Visa card, email address, phone number, and cryptocurrency wallet. Developers can connect the agent to pay for goods and services via a single API in less than a minute. This dramatically simplifies the process, eliminating the need to manually enter data for each transaction.
AI agents operating on models from OpenAI or Anthropic will be able to perform tasks such as booking tickets, ordering groceries, and renewing subscriptions. In this case, the user does not need to participate in the checkout process — all operations are carried out automatically, within set parameters.
Security and Management Flexibility
The system supports flexible settings: spending limits, restrictions by store categories, and individual budgets. By default, payments are processed through Visa tokens, allowing users to retain bank bonuses and credit lines. If the merchant accepts digital assets, AgentCard uses a crypto wallet, automatically selecting the optimal payment method.
"Every shift in technology has created new economic participants. AI agents are the next stage — they need access to the global economy," noted Alchemy CEO Nikil Viswanathan. Visa representatives confirmed that their infrastructure will ensure the security and scalability of such transactions, which is critical for mass adoption.
Market Context
This is not the first step toward autonomous financial operations for AI. Previously, MetaMask announced a wallet designed for the era of artificial intelligence, and Coinbase launched a service for connecting AI agents to user accounts for trading and payments.
My analysis: The launch of AgentCard marks a transition from theoretical discussions to practical implementation. AI agents are becoming full-fledged economic entities, which could fundamentally change the landscape of online commerce and DeFi. However, key challenges remain in security and control — users must be confident that autonomous algorithms will not exceed set limits.