Experience the Dawn of Agentic Commerce at Consensus 2026

A seismic shift is underway in the world of commerce, driven by the convergence of artificial intelligence and blockchain payments. This transformation is happening now, but its full implications have yet to sink in for many. AI agents, capable of autonomous perception, decision-making, and action, are beginning to engage in transactions. They are paying for access to APIs, settling invoices, and interacting with infrastructure in ways that traditional payment systems were not designed to accommodate. The existing payment rails, regulatory frameworks, and business models are on the cusp of a significant overhaul, and Consensus 2026 is at the forefront of this conversation. When over 15,000 influential figures from the crypto, AI, and finance sectors gather at the Miami Beach Convention Center from May 5 to 7, agentic commerce will be a central theme. According to Christian Catalini, MIT professor and founder of the Cryptoeconomics Lab, the distinction between assisted checkout and true agentic payments is crucial. "Real agentic payments begin when the AI is the counterparty," he explains. "The actual test for programmable rails isn't whether an agent can pay - it's whether it can do things no human-facing rail allows: atomic settlement against delivery, per-second payment streaming, or transacting with a counterparty that has no KYC footprint." This is not a distant scenario but a near-term engineering challenge that Consensus aims to address. Google Cloud, known for its strategic investments in technology, is actively participating in the development of blockchain payment rails and open protocols like x402, signaling the industry's serious engagement with agentic commerce. Rich Widmann, Google Cloud's Global Head of Strategy for Web3, notes, "The convergence of agentic AI, blockchain payments, and commerce is still in its early stages, but momentum is building." He highlights the need for products and infrastructure designed specifically for agents, rather than humans, to overcome current friction points. The race for the agentic stack is underway, with protocols like x402 and MPP emerging as contenders for the payment infrastructure that will support AI agents. Consensus 2026 will host key figures from these protocols, including Erik Reppel, founder of x402, and representatives from Tempo and Stripe, the developers of MPP. The event will also feature Stefano Bury, head of Virtuals Protocol, and Chi Zhang, co-founder of Kite, among others. For those seeking a deeper understanding of agentic payments, CoinDesk University offers a comprehensive, three-day curriculum that covers the fundamentals and advanced implementation of agentic commerce, from setting up stablecoin wallets to deploying AI trading bots. The window for shaping the future of agentic commerce is open, but it won't remain so forever. Join 15,000+ builders, investors, and industry leaders at Consensus 2026, May 5–7, Miami Beach, to be part of this pivotal moment.