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 decision-making and action, are starting to engage in transactions, including payments for APIs, invoices, and interactions with infrastructure. However, traditional payment systems are not designed to accommodate these agent-based transactions, creating friction and highlighting the need for new financial infrastructure. Consensus 2026 is poised to address this challenge, bringing together over 15,000 influential figures from the crypto, AI, and finance sectors to discuss and shape the future of agentic commerce.
The event will feature prominent speakers, including Christian Catalini, MIT professor and founder of the Cryptoeconomics Lab, who emphasizes the distinction between assisted checkout and true agentic payments. According to Catalini, real agentic payments occur when AI is the counterparty, enabling capabilities such as atomic settlement and per-second payment streaming.
Google Cloud's presence at Consensus 2026, along with its investment in blockchain payment rails, underscores the growing importance of agentic commerce. Rich Widmann, Google Cloud's Global Head of Strategy for Web3, notes that the convergence of agentic AI, blockchain payments, and commerce is still in its early stages but gaining momentum. The biggest obstacle, Widmann points out, is that most products are designed for humans, not agents, resulting in sign-up, login, and onboarding barriers that hinder agentic commerce.
Two protocols, x402 and MPP, are emerging as contenders for the agentic stack, with x402 focusing on open, interoperable rails and MPP offering a vision for autonomous payment negotiation and settlement. Consensus 2026 will provide a platform for these protocols to be discussed and debated, with key figures such as Erik Reppel, Stefano Bury, and Chi Zhang in attendance. Additionally, CoinDesk University will offer a structured curriculum for attendees to learn about building and deploying agentic payments, covering topics from theory to implementation.
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, in Miami Beach, to be part of this pivotal moment.