Coinbase launches tool letting AI agents make payments and trade crypto
Coinbase launched Coinbase for Agents, a tool that lets AI models such as ChatGPT and Claude connect to user exchange accounts and autonomously trade crypto or execute strategies. It also supports payments through Coinbase’s x402 protocol, enabling agents to pay for data or other services without human intervention. The product is available through a model context protocol and a developer command-line interface. Coinbase also introduced Coinbase Advisor, an in-app AI adviser it says is registered with the SEC and CFTC, to guide users on crypto decisions and automate tasks like recurring buys and rewards allocation. The move reflects growing crypto industry interest in AI agents and microtransactions. However, recent research found many agent projects still lack clear evidence of true autonomous trading and that users have often lost money.
