Alchemy and Visa launch AgentCard: AI agents get their own payment tools
Blockchain infrastructure platform Alchemy, together with global payment giant Visa, has introduced an innovative service called AgentCard. This solution marks a new stage in the integration of artificial intelligence into the financial ecosystem, enabling AI agents to conduct independent online transactions on behalf of users.
How AgentCard Works
Integration with the Visa Intelligent Commerce platform provides neural networks with a full set of digital identification data: a virtual Visa card, an email address, a phone number, and a cryptocurrency wallet. Thanks to a unified application programming interface (API), developers can configure an agent's access to pay for goods and services in literally a minute. This radically simplifies the process of delegating financial operations to algorithms.
Capabilities and Control
AI agents operating on models from OpenAI or Anthropic can now independently book airline tickets, order groceries, and manage subscriptions. The key advantage is that the user does not need to participate in every step of the order process. At the same time, the system includes flexible control mechanisms: spending limits, restrictions by store categories, and customizable budgets.
By default, all transactions are processed through Visa tokens, allowing users to retain bank bonuses and credit lines. However, if the merchant accepts digital assets, AgentCard automatically switches to using the cryptocurrency wallet, demonstrating a hybrid approach to payments.
Expert Opinion
As Alchemy's management notes, every technological shift creates new economic participants, and AI agents are the next logical stage. Visa, in turn, guarantees the security and scalability of such transactions through its proven infrastructure. The AgentCard protocol automatically selects the optimal payment method based on the merchant's capabilities.
Previously, similar steps were taken by MetaMask and Coinbase, which announced wallets and services for autonomous artificial intelligence. However, the partnership between Alchemy and Visa appears to be the most extensive, as it combines the cryptocurrency sector with the traditional fiat system.
My analysis: This is not just another product, but a strategic bridge between crypto infrastructure and traditional finance. AgentCard solves a key problem—the legitimacy of AI agents in the eyes of merchants. If such solutions gain widespread adoption, we will witness the emergence of a new class of economic entities: autonomous algorithms with their own wallets and credit histories. The payment market is facing a fundamental transformation.