Alchemy and Visa launch payments for AI agents: a new era of autonomous finance
The Alchemy platform, together with Visa, has taken the concept of autonomous AI agents to a new level by introducing the AgentCard service. This solution allows neural networks to independently make online purchases on behalf of the user, without their direct involvement in the payment process.
Integration with the Visa Intelligent Commerce infrastructure equips AI agents with a full set of digital tools: a virtual Visa card, an email address, a phone number, and a cryptocurrency wallet. Developers only need to connect a single API, and the agent gains access to paying for goods and services in literally a minute. Agents based on models from OpenAI or Anthropic will be able to book tickets, order groceries, renew subscriptions — all automatically.
The key feature of the system is flexible control. The user sets spending limits, restrictions by store categories, and customizable budgets. By default, payments are processed through Visa tokens, allowing bank bonuses and credit lines to be preserved. If the merchant supports digital assets, the service automatically switches to the crypto wallet. The AgentCard protocol itself selects the optimal payment method depending on the merchant's infrastructure.
As Alchemy CEO Nikhil Viswanathan emphasized, every technological shift creates new economic participants. AI agents are the next stage, and they critically need access to the global economy. Visa representatives, in turn, assured that their infrastructure will ensure the security and scalability of such transactions.
This is not the first step toward autonomous finance for AI. Previously, MetaMask announced a wallet for the era of artificial intelligence, and Coinbase introduced a service that connects an AI agent to a user's account for trading and payments within set limits. Estonia has also begun developing digital IDs for AI agents.
My analysis: The market is moving toward AI agents becoming full-fledged economic entities. AgentCard from Alchemy and Visa is not just a payment tool, but a foundation for a new economy where neural networks will manage finances with the same ease with which we use mobile apps today. This will inevitably lead to increased demand for cryptocurrencies as a means of settlement between agents.