# Artificial intelligence (AI) agents autonomously spending money online is still a tiny market.

*fintech · news · 2026-05-24 · CoinDesk*

## Key points

- AI agents settled over $73 million via roughly 176 million blockchain transactions between May 2025 and April 2026.
- Coinbase, Stripe, Google, and Visa have each released competing machine-to-machine payments infrastructure.
- 76% of agent transactions are too small for conventional card networks, favoring stablecoin-based settlement.
- 98.6% of current machine payments settle in USDC, raising concerns about overreliance on a single issuer.
- Upcoming global regulations do not yet address liability or identity for autonomous agent transactions.

**Companies:** Visa, Google, Coinbase, Stripe, Keyrock, Circle
**Countries:** United States, Europe

[Read the full story on CoinDesk](https://www.coindesk.com/business/2026/05/21/crypto-rails-are-becoming-the-default-payment-layer-for-ai-agents-report-says)

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