Crypto news

The market for autonomous agents is taking a major step forward: the Alchemy platform, in partnership with Visa, has introduced the AgentCard service. This solution provides artificial intelligence with a full set of financial tools for the first time — a virtual Visa card, email, phone number, and cryptocurrency wallet. Integration with Visa Intelligent Commerce allows configuring payment access for an agent in just minutes via a single API.

How It Works

AI agents based on models from OpenAI or Anthropic can now independently book tickets, order groceries, and renew subscriptions — without user involvement. The system supports flexible limits: spending caps, merchant category restrictions, and customizable budgets. By default, payments are processed via Visa tokens, preserving banking rewards and credit lines. If the merchant accepts digital assets, the service automatically switches to the crypto wallet.

"Every technological shift has created new economic participants. AI agents are the next stage — they need access to the global economy," said Alchemy CEO Nikhil Viswanathan.

Visa representatives emphasize that their infrastructure ensures the security and scalability of such transactions. The AgentCard protocol independently selects the optimal payment method based on merchant support.

Context and Prospects

This launch is not an isolated event. In June, MetaMask announced a wallet for the era of autonomous AI, and Coinbase introduced a service connecting agents to user accounts for trading and payments within set limits. Clearly, the industry is preparing for the mass adoption of economically active agents.

My expert opinion: AgentCard from Alchemy and Visa could become the de facto standard for AI agents, but the key issue remains security. Automating payments without user control is a powerful tool, but it requires reliable mechanisms to protect against fraud and errors. The market is moving in the right direction, but regulators will need to adapt faster than they are accustomed to.