Experience the Dawn of Agentic Commerce at Consensus 2026

A fundamental shift is underway in the world of commerce, driven by the intersection of artificial intelligence and blockchain payments. AI agents, capable of autonomous perception, decision-making, and action, are beginning to engage in transactions, including paying for APIs, settling invoices, and interacting with infrastructure in ways that traditional payment systems were not designed to handle. The existing payment landscape, with its credit cards, bank logins, and merchant onboarding flows, poses significant friction for these agents. As the number of AI agents is expected to surpass the human population, with estimates suggesting 70 to 140 billion agents globally, the need for a new financial infrastructure becomes increasingly pressing. Consensus 2026, taking place from May 5 to 7 at the Miami Beach Convention Center, will bring together over 15,000 influential minds from the crypto, AI, and finance sectors to shape the future of agentic commerce. The event will convene experts, including Christian Catalini, MIT professor and founder of the Cryptoeconomics Lab, to discuss the development of programmable payment rails that can facilitate atomic settlement, per-second payment streaming, and transactions with counterparties lacking KYC footprint. Google Cloud's active investment in blockchain payment rails and its presence at Consensus 2026 underscore the industry's recognition of agentic commerce's potential. The company's Global Head of Strategy for Web3, Rich Widmann, emphasizes the need for products and infrastructure designed specifically for agents, rather than humans. Two emerging protocols, x402 and MPP, will be represented at the event, each offering a distinct vision for the future of agentic payments. CoinDesk University will provide attendees with a comprehensive, three-day curriculum to learn about building and deploying agentic payments, from foundational principles to advanced implementation. As the window for shaping the future of agentic commerce is rapidly closing, Consensus 2026 presents a unique opportunity for builders, investors, and industry leaders to converge and define the course of this emerging landscape.