Coinbase has introduced Coinbase for Agents, a new tool that lets users connect an AI agent to their Coinbase account so it can trade, pay, and execute workflows within user-controlled limits.
The company announced the product in an official blog post, saying the tool is available as an MCP and command-line interface. Users can connect the agent to their main account or use a separate sandbox if they do not want it operating directly from their primary account.
Trading Through Coinbase Advanced
Coinbase said the agent can use tools such as Coinbase Advanced, the company’s platform for more experienced traders. The platform includes features such as TradingView charts, which can be used to analyze markets and execute trades.
Users can ask the agent to rebalance a portfolio, follow an investment thesis, or provide input on a one-time crypto trade. At launch, the agent supports crypto spot markets and derivatives, while support for other markets is planned for the future.
Coinbase said it will soon add support for custom limits. These include maximum trade size, the services the agent can interact with, and how much it can spend.
Payments Through x402
The agent also uses x402, the open payment protocol Coinbase launched last year with collaborators including AWS, Anthropic, Circle, and Near. The protocol allows agents to pay for services such as premium research data APIs and on-demand compute without requiring a login or subscription.
Coinbase said this lets the agent pay for trading insights as part of a broader workflow. The company has also published a directory of services that can be accessed through the x402 protocol.
Coinbase Builds On Earlier AI Work
Coinbase has been investing in AI tools for several years. In 2024, it introduced AgentKit, which lets developers integrate automated wallets into apps.
Last December, Coinbase added an AI-powered assistant to its app to provide trading tips and financial information. The company said Coinbase for Agents can also work in ChatGPT or Claude through its MCP server.
Agentic Payments Gain Attention
Lincoln Murr, Coinbase’s head of AI product, told TechCrunch that Coinbase for Agents was shaped by years of work on what the company calls the agentic economy. He said the goal is to create agents that can transact.
AI companies and financial firms have been working on payment systems for agents through new partnerships. Visa invested in Replit last month to support agentic payments for developers and also reached a deal with OpenAI this week to study similar products.
Financial regulators are also watching the sector. The Financial Stability Board has said strong safeguards are needed to reduce AI-related risks in financial systems.
Featured image credits: Ivan Radic via Flickr
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