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, posing new challenges for traditional payment systems.
The need for specialized financial infrastructure has become apparent, with the question of who will build it and what it will look like being a pressing concern. Consensus 2026 will bring together over 15,000 influential figures from the crypto, AI, and finance sectors to address these issues and shape the future of agentic commerce. According to Christian Catalini, MIT professor and founder of the Cryptoeconomics Lab, true agentic payments will only be achieved when AI is the counterparty, enabling features like atomic settlement and per-second payment streaming.
This is not a distant prospect, but a near-term engineering challenge that will be tackled at Consensus 2026. The event will feature key players like Google Cloud, which is investing in blockchain payment rails, and the presence of protocols like x402 and MPP will spark debates about the future of agentic commerce. CoinDesk University will provide a comprehensive curriculum for attendees to learn about building and deploying agentic payments, from foundational principles to advanced implementation. The window for shaping the future of agentic commerce is open, and Consensus 2026 is the platform where industry leaders will come together to define the trajectory of this emerging field.