Experience the Dawn of Agentic Commerce at Consensus 2026

A significant shift is underway in the world of commerce, driven by the convergence of artificial intelligence and blockchain payments. AI agents, capable of autonomous perception, decision-making, and action, are beginning to engage in transactions, including payments for APIs, invoice settlements, and interactions with infrastructure. However, traditional payment systems are not designed to accommodate these agents, creating friction that hinders their navigation. The development of new rails, regulatory frameworks, and business models is crucial, and Consensus 2026 is poised to address these challenges. Over 15,000 influential figures in crypto, AI, and finance will gather at the Miami Beach Convention Center from May 5 to 7 to explore the future of agentic commerce. According to Christian Catalini, MIT professor and founder of the Cryptoeconomics Lab, true agentic payments will emerge when AI becomes the counterparty, enabling capabilities such as atomic settlement against delivery, per-second payment streaming, and transactions with counterparties lacking KYC footprint. This is not a distant scenario but a near-term engineering problem that Consensus 2026 aims to tackle. The event will feature key players, including Google Cloud, which is actively investing in blockchain payment rails. Rich Widmann, Google Cloud's Global Head of Strategy for Web3, notes that the biggest friction points arise from products built for humans, not agents. The rails race is on, with protocols like x402 and MPP emerging as contenders for the agentic stack. Consensus 2026 will provide a platform for these protocols to be showcased, with industry leaders like Erik Reppel, Stefano Bury, and Chi Zhang in attendance. The CoinDesk University will offer a structured curriculum for attendees to learn about building and deploying agentic payments, from theory to implementation. With the window of opportunity open, Consensus 2026 is the ideal platform for builders, investors, and industry leaders to shape the future of agentic commerce.