Coinbase introduced Agentic Wallets, a wallet infrastructure built specifically to let autonomous AI agents hold funds and execute transactions directly.

Capabilities and use cases

Under the new model, an AI agent receives a dedicated wallet and can manage balances, pay for API requests, trade tokens, and interact with DeFi protocols autonomously.

• Agentic Wallets enable agents to store funds and initiate on‑chain operations without human-initiated transaction signing.
• The system supports session limits and per-session transaction caps to constrain agent activity.
• Private keys remain stored within Coinbase infrastructure and are never directly handed to agents.

Underlying protocol and launch timing

The service is based on the x402 protocol, which Coinbase announced in May 2025, and integrates custody with on‑chain execution rules for agents.

Parallel developments on Bitcoin

Lightning Labs published an open‑source toolkit named Lightning Agent Tools using the L402 protocol, offering an alternative approach for the Bitcoin and Lightning Network ecosystems.

The Lightning approach avoids centralized accounts, API keys, and identity requirements, relying instead on cryptographic payment proofs over Lightning channels.

Early adoption metrics

On Ethereum, autonomous trading agents saw rapid uptake, with 13 000 new AI agents registered in a single day to conduct automated asset trading activities.

Controls and risk management

Coinbase emphasises configurable safeguards, such as session limits and transaction ceilings, to prevent uncontrolled spending while enabling agent autonomy under custodial constraints.