- Coinbase‘s Base blockchain launched a tool, Base MCP, enabling AI agents to handle crypto tasks like transfers and swaps.
- Users can confirm transactions via their Base wallet, with the agent having no access to private keys.
- The move aims to advance “agentic payments,” though the related x402 protocol has seen modest early volume of $1.1 million.
- Security concerns persist, as researchers warn AI agents are untrusted components vulnerable to hidden instructions.
Base, the Ethereum layer-2 blockchain from crypto exchange Coinbase, has launched a new tool connecting user accounts to Artificial Intelligence agents for blockchain operations. Users can now ask AI agents like Anthropic’s Claude or OpenAI’s ChatGPT to transfer funds, swap tokens, and check balances directly from a chat interface.
The AI agent proposes an action, then the Base wallet opens for user confirmation, safeguarding private keys. This system, according to Base, can also interact with protocols like Uniswap and Moonwell within its ecosystem.
Consequently, Coinbase is pushing further into AI-driven payments, a use case touted for digital assets. Lincoln Murr, head of AI Product for Coinbase, told Fortune that “your Base Account travels with you — trades, history, and portfolio sync whether you’re in-agent or in the Base App.”
Meanwhile, the tool expands the adoption of the Coinbase x402 agentic payment standard. However, the micro-transaction economy it enables remains nascent, with x402 processing just $1.1 million in volume over 30 days, according to x402scan.
Despite the potential, significant security warnings accompany this innovation. Researchers from Google and leading universities say AI agents should be treated as an untrusted system component vulnerable to hidden malicious instructions.
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