Brian Armstrong hands AI agents the keys to Coinbase

Coinbase has launched a new platform that allows AI agents to trade, manage portfolios, make payments, and execute financial workflows directly through user accounts.

According to a Coinbase announcement, the crypto exchange has introduced Coinbase for Agents, a system that connects large language models such as ChatGPT and Claude to Coinbase accounts.

The launch allows users to authorize AI agents to carry out crypto-related tasks, including portfolio rebalancing, trade execution, position management, and market monitoring.

Under the initial rollout, agents can execute cryptocurrency trades, while Coinbase said support for stocks and prediction markets is planned for a later stage.

Users can instruct agents to follow specific investment rules, rebalance holdings across assets such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP, and Solana, or place limit orders based on predefined market conditions.

Commenting on the launch, Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong said:

“Now you can use your favorite AI agent to control your Coinbase account (or a sub-account), with Coinbase for Agents.”

Armstrong also shared a demonstration showing how the platform can be configured to automate investment and account management tasks.

AI agents can trade and spend autonomously

Alongside trading capabilities, Coinbase said its machine-to-machine payments protocol x402 enables AI agents to purchase digital services without requiring direct human involvement. 

According to the company, agents can use the system to pay for research, data feeds, application programming interfaces, and computing resources before acting on the information they obtain.

Coinbase has also integrated Coinbase Advisor into the platform. The company described the service as an SEC- and CFTC-registered financial advisor that can provide recommendations and guidance directly within agent workflows.

The launch follows Armstrong’s earlier comments that AI agents could eventually conduct more transactions than humans. According to Armstrong, digital agents cannot open traditional bank accounts but can operate through crypto wallets, making blockchain-based financial infrastructure a practical alternative for machine-driven commerce.

Stablecoin infrastructure expands beyond trading

Beyond agentic trading, Coinbase has recently expanded its stablecoin payment network through several partnerships.

According to crypto.news, payments company MassPay announced on June 11 that it had integrated Coinbase’s infrastructure into its cross-border payout network. The partnership gives eligible enterprise customers access to USDC-based funding and settlement across 180 countries while allowing treasury management through Coinbase Prime custody services.

According to the companies, businesses using the platform can settle transactions on-chain rather than relying on conventional international payment systems that often require prefunded accounts across multiple jurisdictions.

Elsewhere in the payments sector, Mastercard recently launched Agent Pay for Machines, an AI-focused payment network backed by more than 30 organizations, including Coinbase, Ripple, and the Solana Foundation.

Mastercard said the system enables autonomous software agents to complete payments, settlements, and machine-to-machine transactions while operating within user-defined spending limits and authorization controls. The company also stated that the network supports stablecoin settlement rails.

For Coinbase, the new agent platform creates additional opportunities across multiple business lines. The exchange earns trading fees from agent-executed transactions, generates revenue from USDC-based payment activity, and benefits from increased transaction volume on its Layer 2 blockchain, Base.

Following the announcement, COIN stock climbed 4.8% to $161.48, although shares remain down more than 25% over the past month.