According to Huoxing Finance, on May 24, Keyrock’s latest report revealed that crypto rails are increasingly becoming the default payment layer for AI agents. Over the past year, AI agents have completed over 176 million transactions on blockchain networks, with a settlement value exceeding $73 million. As AI agents begin autonomously purchasing data, cloud computing power, API services, and AI inference resources, traditional card payment systems are struggling to accommodate high-frequency, ultra-low-value transactions. Currently, approximately 76% of agent payments are under 30 cents, while the cost of some on-chain stablecoin transfers is just a fraction of a cent. Coinbase, Stripe, Google, and Visa have all begun investing in machine-to-machine payment infrastructure. Notably, Coinbase’s x402 protocol enables AI agents to directly pay for on-chain analytics and cloud services using USDC. Data shows that 98.6% of AI agent payments are settled via USDC. The report suggests this further solidifies Circle’s pivotal role in crypto payments, but also indicates growing industry dependence on a single stablecoin issuer.
Report: Crypto Becoming the Default Payment Layer for AI Agents, 98.6% Settled via USDC
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Summary
AI and crypto news highlights that crypto rails are becoming the default payment layer for AI agents, according to a Keyrock report. Over 17.6 million blockchain transactions were executed in the past year, totaling more than $73 million. Most payments are under 30 cents, with many stablecoin transfers costing less than a fraction of a cent. Crypto news notes that 98.6% of these payments use USDC, enabled by Coinbase’s x402 protocol for direct on-chain transactions. Major companies such as Stripe and Google are developing infrastructure for machine-to-machine payments.
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