Alchemy and Visa are bringing AI agents into the payment market with AgentCard
The cryptocurrency and blockchain technology market continues to integrate with artificial intelligence. The Alchemy platform, together with payment giant Visa, has launched AgentCard — a service that allows AI agents to make online purchases on behalf of users. This is a significant step towards an autonomous economy where neural networks become full participants in financial operations.
The solution is built on Visa Intelligent Commerce and provides AI agents with a complete set of data: a virtual Visa card, an email address, a phone number, and a cryptocurrency wallet. Developers can configure payment access through a single API in less than a minute. This removes barriers to adoption and accelerates the scaling process.
AI agents based on models from OpenAI or Anthropic are now capable of booking tickets, ordering groceries, and managing subscriptions without human intervention. The system supports flexible spending limits, restrictions by store category, 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.
Alchemy CEO Nikil Viswanathan emphasizes: "Every shift in technology has created new economic participants. AI agents are the next stage; they need access to the global economy." Visa adds that their infrastructure ensures 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 introduced a service for connecting AI agents to user accounts for trading and payments. However, AgentCard from Alchemy and Visa stands out for its integration with traditional payment infrastructure, which could accelerate technology adoption.
Expert opinion: AgentCard is a bridge between decentralized finance and traditional payment systems. In the coming years, we will see AI agents become a standard tool for managing personal finances, but the key challenge will remain security and user control.