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 beginning to engage in transactions, including paying for APIs and settling invoices.
However, traditional payment systems are not equipped to handle these interactions seamlessly. The development of new infrastructure, regulatory frameworks, and business models is crucial to support agentic commerce. Consensus 2026 will bring together over 15,000 influential figures from the crypto, AI, and finance sectors to explore these developments 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 capabilities such as atomic settlement and per-second payment streaming.
Google Cloud's investment in blockchain payment rails and its presence at Consensus 2026 underscore the growing importance of agentic commerce. The event will feature discussions on open protocols like x402 and MPP, which are emerging as contenders for the agentic stack. Attendees will also have access to CoinDesk University, a three-day curriculum that covers the fundamentals and implementation of agentic payments.
With the potential to shape the future of machine-to-machine transactions and regulatory frameworks, Consensus 2026 is an opportunity for industry leaders to come together and define the course of agentic commerce.