Alchemy and Visa launch AgentCard: AI agents get their own payment tools
The cryptocurrency and blockchain market continues to integrate with artificial intelligence. Alchemy platform, together with payment giant Visa, has introduced AgentCard — a service that enables AI agents to independently make online purchases on behalf of users.
What is AgentCard and how does it work
AgentCard is not just a virtual card. It is a full set of identification and payment data for a neural network: a virtual Visa card, an email address, a phone number, and a cryptocurrency wallet. All of this is combined into a single API that developers can integrate in less than a minute. Essentially, the agent receives a digital identity with its own finances.
AI agents operating on OpenAI or Anthropic models will be able to book tickets, order groceries, renew subscriptions — all without human involvement in the checkout process. The user only needs to set limits and rules.
Security and flexibility
The system supports customizable budgets, merchant category restrictions, and spending limits. By default, payments are processed through Visa tokens, preserving bank bonuses and credit lines. If the merchant accepts digital assets, AgentCard can switch to a cryptocurrency wallet. The protocol automatically selects the optimal payment method.
"Every shift in technology 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 will ensure the security and scalability of such transactions. This is a logical step: if agents become widespread, Visa's payment system will be indispensable.
Context and my opinion
Previously, MetaMask announced a wallet for the era of autonomous AI, and Coinbase launched a service connecting an AI agent to a user's account for trading and payments. AgentCard from Alchemy and Visa is not just another tool, but an attempt to standardize payment infrastructure for agents. In my analysis, the key question here is not about technology, but about trust: are users ready to hand over control of their finances to an algorithm? As long as limits and settings remain under human control, the solution seems like a reasonable compromise. However, I expect that within the next 12–18 months, we will see the first incidents of unintended agent spending, which will spur stricter regulation.