Jesse Pollak of Coinbase Predicts AI Agents Will Revolutionize Crypto Payments

The surge in AI agents is transforming online transactions, with crypto infrastructure emerging as a natural fit, according to Jesse Pollak of Coinbase. In an interview with CoinDesk, Pollak noted that what was nearly impossible just nine months ago is now achievable due to the rapid advancement of autonomous AI systems. As these agents evolve, the need for native transaction methods is becoming increasingly clear. "Agents, being software-based, require money in a software format," Pollak explained, ahead of his appearance at Consensus Miami 2026 next month. This shift is sparking interest in "agentic payments," where AI systems can autonomously pay for services such as data access, computing, or travel bookings. Pollak expressed his hope that the x402 open-source payments protocol, developed by Coinbase and collaborators including Microsoft, Google, and Mastercard, will play a key role in this shift. The protocol enables on-demand API payments without subscriptions or traditional billing systems. By leveraging blockchain-based payments, agents can make a single API call or smart contract call to transfer money globally, almost instantly and at virtually no cost, Pollak said. Early adoption is already evident, with approximately $48 million in payment volume having flowed through X402 to date, mostly on Base, the Ethereum layer-2 network founded by Pollak and incubated by Coinbase. The ecosystem is expanding rapidly, with integrations across AI providers, data platforms, and travel services that agents can access directly. The long-term goal, according to Pollak, is to create an open marketplace where agents can programmatically access services without encountering paywalls or requiring human intervention. "The aim is for agents to operate freely," he described, envisioning a system where software can seamlessly discover, purchase, and utilize digital services in real-time. While fully autonomous "zero-human" businesses are beginning to emerge, Pollak believes the more significant near-term impact will come from individuals augmenting themselves with AI. "Top performers are now leveraging agents to enhance their performance even further," he said, describing workflows powered by multiple parallel AI systems. For the crypto industry, the broader challenge remains adoption. Pollak argued that the solution lies not in better marketing but in making crypto invisible to the user. "It will be much easier to promote crypto when people don't need to be told about it; they just experience it," he said.