Alchemy and Visa launch AgentCard: AI agents get their own payment tools
The cryptocurrency and blockchain industry is taking another step toward the era of autonomous artificial intelligence. The Alchemy platform, together with payment giant Visa, has introduced the AgentCard service — a solution that allows AI agents to make online purchases on behalf of a user without their direct involvement.
The integration is built on the basis of Visa Intelligent Commerce. Each AI agent receives a full set of digital tools: a virtual Visa card, an email address, a phone number, and a cryptocurrency wallet. Developers can connect the agent to pay for goods and services via a single API in literally a minute.
How it works
AI agents running on OpenAI or Anthropic models are now able to independently book tickets, order groceries, or renew subscriptions. The user does not need to participate in the checkout process — the system handles all interaction with the merchant.
AgentCard supports flexible security settings: 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 accepts digital assets, the service automatically switches to the crypto wallet.
"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 ensures the security and scalability of such transactions. The AgentCard protocol independently selects the optimal payment method depending on merchant support.
Context and prospects
This is not the industry's first step toward autonomous AI agents. Previously, the MetaMask team announced a wallet for the era of autonomous artificial intelligence, and Coinbase launched a service that connects an AI agent to a user's account for trading and payments within set limits.
My analysis: AgentCard from Alchemy and Visa is not just another product, but a fundamental shift in the payment paradigm. We are witnessing the formation of a new class of economic entities — autonomous agents capable of operating with both fiat and cryptocurrency funds. For the market, this means explosive growth in demand for infrastructure solutions capable of handling millions of AI transactions per second. The issue of security and trust in such systems will remain key, but the first steps have already been taken.