In 2026, it is likely that AI Agents will truly begin to become “economic participants.” These Agents are automatically calling SaaS APIs, executing transactions, purchasing cloud computing resources, and autonomously chaining together various workflows. Just as humans need credit cards as a kind of “banking channel” when conducting transactions in the real world, AI Agents also need a banking system—and I believe that this system is likely to be built on stablecoins.
This argument can be divided into two parts. The first part is why: Why is cryptocurrency, rather than the credit card system, more suitable as the banking infrastructure for Agents? The second part is how to achieve it: If we accept the premise that “cryptocurrency will become the banking layer for Agents,” then what specific infrastructure needs to be built to make this system truly operational?
In the crypto community, people often mock the credit card system, believing that it is simply not applicable to AI Agents. This view is actually too superficial and is likely inaccurate. In fact, traditional payment institutions such as Visa have already made significant progress in Agent business scenarios. For example, Visa Intelligent Commerce has built a payment system similar to Apple Pay for AI Agents, completing payments by issuing a set of “tokenized credentials” for Agents, which are linked to the user’s real credit card account.
Since Agent credit cards are feasible, why do we still need cryptocurrency? There are three main reasons: The first is a more flexible trust structure. The credit card system essentially relies on a fixed and rigid trust structure, which must be endorsed by a KYC-verified human bank account. Stablecoin wallets are not subject to this restriction and can be linked to government IDs, social media accounts, domain name servers, or headless smart contracts, which is the only way to achieve large-scale financial transactions for Agents that do not rely on traditional financial systems.
The second is a globally-oriented “Internet-native currency.” Stablecoins were designed from the outset to be a global monetary system, extending the Internet-native financial experience to a global scale. This is crucial for Agent’s cross-border SaaS service calls, as Agents need a unified global payment rail, rather than using inefficient, fragmented payment systems in different regions.
Finally, there are entirely new payment models. In a stablecoin payment system, any service interface can become a chargeable endpoint. This will spawn a large number of new payment and revenue-sharing models, such as charging users stablecoins for query fees, or paying for computing power services, purchasing online advertising, etc., thereby forming a self-reinforcing economic flywheel and increasing the overall transaction volume of the Internet economy.
So, how do we build a banking system for AI Agents on the crypto network? Building a banking system for AI Agents is not as simple as providing a wallet; we need to build a complete set of financial security and governance infrastructure, which mainly includes four key components: identity and authorization, payment liquidity, security mechanisms, and application marketplace.
In terms of identity and authorization, ZKID or similar ERC-8004 standards can be used to record Agent identities. In terms of payment liquidity, it is necessary to establish fiat currency deposits, pre-funded accounts, and pre-authorized payment mechanisms, and to solve the blockchain congestion problem caused by micro-payments. In terms of security mechanisms, technologies such as multi-party computation, multi-signature, and zero-knowledge proofs can be used to protect Agent’s private keys and API credentials. Finally, at the application marketplace level, protocols such as x402 allow Agents to discover services, make decisions, and pay fees, thereby truly participating in the Internet economy as independent economic entities.
The Agent economic era has just begun. I believe that blockchain and stablecoins are likely to become the banking infrastructure for the Agent economy. The bank of the future AI Agent will not look like a bank; it will look more like a blockchain.
[Conflux]
When Lobsters Start Spending: The Dawn of AI Agent Banking and Stablecoin’s New Era
The crypto market stands at the precipice of a paradigm shift that could redefine digital asset utility beyond human users. The emergence of AI Agents as economic participants by 2026, as outlined in the OpenClaw analysis, represents not merely a speculative narrative but a fundamental expansion of blockchain’s addressable market. This vision—where autonomous AI entities conduct transactions, pay for services, and participate in economic activities—could catalyze unprecedented demand for stablecoins and specialized infrastructure.
Market Transformation: From Human-Centric to Agent-Centric Finance
Traditional crypto narratives have predominantly focused on human adoption and use cases. The AI Agent banking concept flips this script entirely, potentially creating a parallel financial ecosystem where transactions are executed by autonomous entities. This isn’t just another layer of utility—it’s a fundamentally new market that could dwarf current human-driven volumes.
What makes this thesis compelling is its alignment with observable trends in AI development and blockchain infrastructure maturation. We’re witnessing the emergence of increasingly sophisticated autonomous agents capable of complex decision-making. Meanwhile, blockchain networks are solving scalability and cost challenges that would be prohibitive for micro-transactions. The convergence of these technologies creates fertile ground for the author’s vision to materialize.
Stablecoins: The Undervalbed Bedrock of Agent Finance
The article correctly identifies stablecoins as superior to traditional credit systems for AI Agent banking. This insight deserves emphasis:
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Structural Flexibility: Unlike traditional banking’s rigid KYC requirements, stablecoins can integrate with diverse identity verification methods—from government IDs to decentralized alternatives. This flexibility is essential for accommodating the diverse operational needs of AI Agents.
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Internet-Native Monetary Properties: Stablecoins offer borderless settlement, 24/7 availability, and programmatic money—features that align perfectly with AI Agents’ global, always-on operational requirements.
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Composability: Smart contract-compatible stablecoins enable entirely new financial primitives that credit card systems cannot match, from programmable payments to complex revenue-sharing arrangements.
From an investment perspective, we should expect a bifurcation in stablecoin value capture. While established stablecoins like USDC and USDT may benefit from increased usage volume, specialized stablecoins with enhanced features for Agent banking could capture disproportionate value. I’m particularly interested in stablecoins with built-in identity verification, multi-party computation capabilities, and specialized governance mechanisms for autonomous entities.
Infrastructure Opportunities: Beyond the Obvious
The article rightly identifies four critical components of Agent banking infrastructure. Let’s examine the investment implications:
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Identity and Authorization: Projects like those implementing ZKID or ERC-8004 standards represent a frontier in digital identity. Unlike current identity solutions, these systems must balance verifiability with autonomy—a complex challenge requiring novel cryptographic approaches. Early movers in this space could capture significant value as they establish standards.
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Payment Liquidity Solutions: The micro-payment challenge remains a critical bottleneck. Projects solving blockchain congestion for high-frequency, low-value transactions will be essential. This isn’t merely about scaling—it requires innovative approaches to liquidity management, potentially creating new DeFi primitives specifically designed for Agent economics.
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Security Mechanisms: The security paradigm shifts significantly when protecting autonomous entities rather than human users. Multi-party computation, threshold signatures, and advanced ZK-proofs will be crucial. I believe we’ll see specialized security protocols emerging that are fundamentally different from current wallet solutions.
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Application Marketplaces: Protocols like x404 that enable service discovery and payment settlement for Agents represent a new frontier in platform economics. These aren’t merely app stores—they’re foundational economic infrastructure where value flows between autonomous entities.
Risks and Realities
While the vision is compelling, investors must maintain a balanced perspective:
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Regulatory Uncertainty: AI-controlled financial systems represent a novel frontier for regulators. The legal status of autonomous economic entities remains undefined, creating potential regulatory headwinds that could delay or reshape this vision.
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Execution Complexity: The technical challenges outlined are substantial. Building secure, scalable infrastructure for autonomous financial entities requires breakthroughs in multiple fields simultaneously.
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Competitive Landscape: Traditional financial institutions are not standing idle. Visa’s already-developed Agent payment solutions demonstrate that incumbents recognize this opportunity and have advantages in regulatory relationships and existing customer bases.
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Timeline Realism: The 2026 timeline may be overly optimistic. While the underlying technologies are advancing rapidly, their integration into a coherent ecosystem will likely take longer than anticipated.
Conflux’s Strategic Position
The mention of Conflux at the article’s conclusion is noteworthy. If Confusion has been developing infrastructure aligned with this vision, it could position itself advantageously in the emerging Agent banking landscape. Their ability to combine scalability with advanced features would be crucial for supporting high-frequency Agent transactions. Investors should examine whether Conflux’s technical roadmap aligns with the four infrastructure components outlined in the article.
Investment Implications and Strategic Outlook
For experienced crypto investors, the AI Agent banking narrative represents both opportunity and caution:
Opportunities:
– Identify projects building specialized infrastructure for autonomous entities
– Monitor stablecoin innovations designed for programmatic money
– Explore DeFi primitives enabling micro-payment economies
– Consider blockchain networks solving the scalability-compatibility trilemma for Agent transactions
Caution:
– Avoid overestimating near-term adoption timelines
– Distinguish between genuine infrastructure providers and narrative-driven projects
– Monitor regulatory developments carefully
– Maintain healthy skepticism about technological feasibility
The AI Agent banking concept isn’t just another crypto narrative—it represents a fundamental expansion of blockchain’s economic potential. While challenges remain, the potential rewards for early infrastructure providers are substantial. As we move toward a future where autonomous economic entities become commonplace, the projects that successfully build their financial plumbing today may become the blue-chip names of tomorrow’s crypto economy.