Alchemy and Visa launch AgentCard: AI agents get their own payment tools
The cryptocurrency and blockchain technology market continues to integrate with artificial intelligence. The Alchemy platform, together with payment giant Visa, has introduced the AgentCard service — a solution that equips AI agents with full-fledged financial tools for conducting online transactions on behalf of users.
How AgentCard Works
The integration with Visa Intelligent Commerce provides neural networks with 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 less than a minute. This means that AI agents based on models from OpenAI or Anthropic gain the ability to book tickets, order groceries, and manage subscriptions without user involvement.
Security and Flexibility
The system supports strict spending limits, category restrictions, and customizable budgets. By default, payments are processed through Visa tokens, preserving bank bonuses and credit lines. If the merchant accepts digital assets, the service automatically switches to the crypto wallet. The AgentCard protocol selects the optimal payment method based on merchant support.
Alchemy CEO Nikhil Viswanathan emphasized: "Every technological shift has created new economic participants. AI agents are the next stage — they need access to the global economy." Visa, for its part, guarantees the security and scalability of transactions through its infrastructure.
Market Context
Previously, MetaMask announced a wallet for the era of autonomous AI, and Coinbase launched a service connecting agents to user accounts for trading and payments. These steps indicate the formation of a new paradigm where AI agents become full-fledged participants in the economy.
My analysis: AgentCard from Alchemy and Visa is not just another product but a strategic step toward automating financial flows in the AI era. However, the key challenge remains in the area of security: how to prevent abuse by autonomous agents? The market requires transparent control mechanisms, and for now, limits and category restrictions are only the first level of protection.