‘AI agents can reason, but they cannot act’: MoonPay builds bridge to money

ambcryptoPublished on 2026-02-25Last updated on 2026-02-25

Abstract

MoonPay, a global leader in crypto payments and stablecoin infrastructure, has launched MoonPay Agents to enable autonomous AI systems to access and use capital. Recognizing that "AI agents can reason, but they cannot act economically without capital infrastructure," the company built a bridge between AI reasoning and real-world financial execution. This allows verified AI agents to programmatically trade, swap, and move digital assets via non-custodial wallets. This development aligns with broader infrastructure shifts, such as machine-to-machine payment protocols and a surge in stablecoin adoption. Stablecoins are transforming settlement with faster speeds and lower costs compared to traditional card networks, with transaction volume reaching $33 trillion in 2025. Institutional adoption is growing, with nearly half of institutions using stablecoins for payments. Despite regulatory scrutiny and bank resistance, the agent economy is expanding rapidly, compressing legacy financial margins and reshaping the future of autonomous commerce.

AI agents and stablecoins have reached a structural milestone in early 2026. MoonPay has recognized that shift and moved before hesitation set in.

Founded in 2019, MoonPay has reached more than 30 million customers across 180 countries. It supported over 500 enterprise clients. Through one integration, it powered on and off ramps, trading, crypto payments, and stablecoin infrastructure.

Therefore, MoonPay Agents did not emerge from a speculative lab. It came from a scaled operator already embedded in global digital asset flows. That context mattered.

MoonPay agents and financialization of autonomous AI

MoonPay, the leader in global crypto payments and stablecoin infrastructure, formalized capital access for programmable systems.

Its software layer enabled non-custodial wallets through MoonPay CLI. Once verified, agents traded, swapped, and moved digital assets programmatically. CEO Ivan Soto-Wright stated,

“AI agents can reason, but they cannot act economically without capital infrastructure.”

That line was blunt. Intelligence without money meant nothing. MoonPay built the bridge between reasoning and execution.

Infrastructure layer powering machine-to-machine payments

The launch aligned with deeper infrastructure shifts.

x402 enabled wallet authenticated HTTP payments using USDC without API keys. Quicknode supported x402 across more than 80 chains. Meanwhile, Coinbase’s Payments MCP recorded a 10,000% spike in agent transactions on Base.

As a result, machine-driven settlement was already accelerating. The rails existed. MoonPay plugged directly into them.

How stablecoins are reshaping settlement in AI era

Stablecoins are rewriting settlement math.

Card networks charged 2% to 3.5% per transaction. Cross-border flows exceeded 4%. Stablecoin transfers are settled within seconds at fractions of a cent. Remittance fees still averaged 6.6%.

Stablecoin transaction volume reached $33 trillion in 2025, rising 72% year over year. Supply surpassed $300 billion.

McKinsey & Company, a global consulting firm, estimated real world stablecoin payments approached $390 billion annually. Citi projected supply could reach $1.9 trillion by 2030.

Institutional adoption and expanding role of agentic commerce

Institutional readiness was no longer theoretical.

Fireblocks research showed nearly half of institutions used stablecoins for payments. Over 80% reported infrastructure readiness. Agent tokens expanded rapidly, with 21,000 minted in November 2024 alone.

Capital markets reacted sharply. Visa fell 4.6%, Mastercard dropped 5.7%, and American Express slid 7.2%.

According to a thesis published by Bull Theory, AI selecting the cheapest settlement rails could compress legacy margins.

What are execution and regulatory risks in agent economy?

Despite momentum, friction remained real.

Banks resisted yield-bearing stablecoins due to deposit migration concerns. Regulators intensified scrutiny around reserve backing and compliance.

However, incumbents quietly integrated stablecoin settlement infrastructure. They were not surrendering. They were adapting.

Final Summary

  • MoonPay launched MoonPay Agents, enabling autonomous AI systems to access capital through non-custodial wallets and programmable infrastructure.
  • The company leveraged its scale of 30 million users and 500+ enterprise clients to integrate AI into real crypto payment rails.

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Related Questions

QWhat is the core problem that MoonPay Agents aims to solve for AI, according to CEO Ivan Soto-Wright?

AThe core problem is that while AI agents can reason, they cannot act economically without capital infrastructure. MoonPay Agents provides the bridge between reasoning and execution by enabling access to capital.

QWhat key infrastructure shift, mentioned alongside x402 and Quicknode, is enabling machine-to-machine payments?

AThe key infrastructure shift is the enablement of wallet authenticated HTTP payments using USDC without API keys, supported by x402 and Quicknode across more than 80 chains.

QHow do the transaction costs of stablecoins compare to traditional card networks and remittance fees?

AStablecoin transfers are settled within seconds for fractions of a cent, which is significantly cheaper than card networks that charge 2% to 3.5% per transaction and remittance fees that average 6.6%.

QWhat was the market reaction of traditional payment companies like Visa and Mastercard to the rise of stablecoins and agentic commerce?

ACapital markets reacted sharply, with Visa falling 4.6%, Mastercard dropping 5.7%, and American Express sliding 7.2%, as AI selecting cheaper settlement rails threatened to compress legacy margins.

QWhat are two major sources of friction or risk mentioned for the growth of the agent economy?

AThe two major sources of friction are banks resisting yield-bearing stablecoins due to deposit migration concerns, and regulators intensifying scrutiny around reserve backing and compliance.

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