Experience the Dawn of Agentic Commerce at Consensus 2026

A fundamental 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, but the existing financial infrastructure is not equipped to handle their unique needs. The question on everyone's mind is what the future of financial infrastructure will look like and who will build it. Consensus 2026 is convening to address this very issue, bringing together over 15,000 influential figures from the crypto, AI, and finance sectors. According to Christian Catalini, MIT professor and founder of the Cryptoeconomics Lab, true agentic payments involve AI acting as a counterparty, enabling capabilities such as atomic settlement and per-second payment streaming. This is not a distant future scenario, but rather a near-term engineering challenge that Consensus 2026 aims to tackle. Google Cloud's presence at Consensus 2026 and its investment in blockchain payment rails underscore the significance of agentic commerce. Rich Widmann, Google Cloud's Global Head of Strategy for Web3, notes that the biggest friction points arise from products being designed for humans, not agents. The race to establish the dominant payment infrastructure for agentic commerce is heating up, with protocols like x402 and MPP emerging as early contenders. Consensus 2026 will provide a platform for these protocols to be showcased and debated, with industry leaders like Erik Reppel and Stefano Bury in attendance. For those looking to dive deeper into the world of agentic payments, CoinDesk University offers a comprehensive curriculum that covers everything from the basics to advanced implementation. The program features hands-on workshops, mainstage sessions, and networking opportunities, providing attendees with a unique chance to learn from industry experts. The window for shaping the future of agentic commerce is open, but it won't remain so forever. The decisions made at Consensus 2026 will have a lasting impact on the industry, and attendees will have a unique opportunity to be part of this pivotal moment.