Coinbase Global Inc. has introduced “Agentic Wallets,” a specialized crypto wallet infrastructure that enables autonomous AI agents to manage funds and execute on-chain transactions without human intervention.
The launch marks a significant transition from AI systems that provide recommendations to those capable of independent financial execution, such as automated DeFi rebalancing and token trading. By integrating hardware-level security with programmable permissions, the exchange aims to establish the foundational financial layer for the emerging “machine-to-machine” economy.
As announced on the Coinbase Developer Platform Twitter account, “Introducing Agentic Wallets, our first ever wallet infrastructure built specifically for autonomous agents. Give your agent the power of a wallet. Let your agent manage funds, hold identity, and transact onchain without human intervention.” The announcement was made on February 11, 2026.
Agentic Wallets are built on the x402 protocol, an open-payment standard Coinbase co-developed to repurpose the HTTP 402 “Payment Required” status code for instant blockchain settlements. The protocol has reportedly processed more than 50 million transactions to date and is currently being utilized by partners including Stripe and Cloudflare to facilitate pay-per-use API models.
The infrastructure initially supports Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) compatible networks and Solana. For transactions occurring on Base, the Coinbase-incubated Layer 2 network, the company is providing gas-free execution to remove fee-management friction for autonomous bots.
According to Eric Reppel and Josh Nickerson of the Coinbase Developer Platform, “We are moving from agents that advise to those that act. The tool will automatically redistribute funds—without additional confirmation, as you have pre-authorized permissions and set limits.”
To mitigate risks associated with autonomous spending, Coinbase implemented “Smart Security Guardrails,” which allow users to define strict spending limits, session duration caps, and specific transaction permissions. Private keys are managed via enclave isolation technology, ensuring they remain within secure infrastructure and are never exposed to an agent’s large language model (LLM) or prompts.
The rollout coincides with a broader industry shift toward agentic commerce. Earlier this week, payment processor Stripe announced a preview of its “machine payments” tool, which leverages the x402 protocol on the Base network to allow developers to bill AI agents directly in USDC stablecoins.
