- Anchorage is launching a new banking service for AI agents to access and move money autonomously, which co-founder Nathan McCauley predicts could become a trillion-dollar industry.
- The service provides AI agents with verifiable IDs, preset spending limits, and compliance features, and was launched with a partnership with Google Cloud for agent coordination.
- The move is part of a broader trend, with Solana Foundation and Oobit also recently launching products enabling AI agents to conduct payments using stablecoins.
Crypto bank Anchorage launched a groundbreaking agentic banking service on Tuesday, aiming to give AI systems the autonomous power to access traditional and crypto financial rails. This initiative, announced by co-founder and CEO Nathan McCauley, targets a future where non-human actors can pay each other and merchants without human interference.
Consequently, the service equips AI agents with verifiable identities, preset spending limits, and built-in auditability for regulatory compliance. The launch included a key partnership with Google Cloud, which will provide the intelligence layer for agents to “discover, negotiate and coordinate” amongst themselves.
However, Anchorage is not alone in preparing for this automated future. Blockchain and tech firms have been rushing to build infrastructure capable of handling the immense transaction volume AI commerce will demand. Stripe, for instance, argued in February that blockchains may need to process up to a billion transactions per second.
Meanwhile, other crypto firms are releasing similar agentic finance products. On the same Tuesday, the Solana Foundation launched a gateway with Google Cloud for AI agents to pay for APIs using Solana-based stablecoins.
Furthermore, on April 30, Tether-backed startup Oobit released a VISA-supported virtual card for AI agents to make online purchases with USDT. This card is funded directly from Tether’s treasury, eliminating the need for agents to use fiat on-ramps for top-ups.
Speaking at the Consensus 2026 conference, McCauley positioned this sector as one of the most vital trends of the next decade. “This is, in my view, set to be a trillion-dollar industry where we are going to have agents paying each other, agents paying merchants, and agents getting paid,” he said.
This shift is also fostering new alliances between technology labs and regulated financial institutions. Ripple Labs researcher Oliver Segovia said the deal reflects a trend of closer collaboration as labs delve into regulated infrastructure.
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