AI agents drive 138 million micro-crypto payments via Coinbase’s x402 protocol

Autonomous AI agents are fueling a surge in micro-crypto payments, making over 138 million cryptocurrency transactions through Coinbase’s x402 protocol on the Base network, according to new research from blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis. Chainalysis, a global leader in blockchain data analytics, highlighted the rise of “agentic commerce” as one of the fastest-growing applications in the cryptocurrency sector. This trend centers on software-based AI agents independently carrying out transactions to pay for digital services. The firm’s latest report, released as part of its annual Geography of Crypto series, focuses on North America’s $3 trillion crypto economy.