Alchemy and Visa launch AgentCard: AI agents get their own payment tools
The cryptocurrency platform Alchemy, in partnership with payment giant Visa, has introduced an innovative service called AgentCard. This solution marks a new stage in the evolution of autonomous AI agents, granting them full access to the global financial system.
The integration with Visa Intelligent Commerce endows neural networks with a comprehensive set of identification and payment data: a virtual Visa card, email address, phone number, and cryptocurrency wallet. Developers can configure the agent's access to pay for goods and services through a single API in just minutes.
How It Works
AI agents based on models from OpenAI or Anthropic can now independently book airline tickets, order groceries, renew subscriptions, and make other online purchases. The user does not need to participate in the checkout process—just set limits and rules.
The AgentCard system supports flexible settings: spending limits, merchant category restrictions, and individual budgets. By default, transactions are processed through Visa tokens, preserving banking bonuses and credit lines. If the merchant accepts digital assets, the service automatically switches to the crypto wallet.
"Every technological shift creates new economic participants. AI agents are the next stage, and they need access to the global economy," emphasized Alchemy CEO Nikhil Viswanathan.
Visa representatives assured that their infrastructure will ensure the security and scalability of such transactions. The AgentCard protocol automatically selects the optimal payment method based on merchant support.
This is not the first step in this direction. Previously, MetaMask announced a wallet for the era of autonomous AI, and Coinbase launched a service for connecting AI agents to user accounts. However, the partnership between Alchemy and Visa appears to be the most systematic—it combines cryptocurrency flexibility with traditional payment infrastructure.
Expert Opinion: AgentCard is not just another tool but a veritable bridge between decentralized finance and the real economy. If AI agents begin to widely use crypto wallets for payments, we will see explosive growth in microtransactions and automated business processes. However, the key question is security: how to prevent fraud when an agent is entrusted with a credit line? There is no answer yet, but Visa and Alchemy are clearly aiming for the long term.