On Wednesday, Coinbase launched Agentic Wallets, a new wallet infrastructure created for autonomous AI agents. The tool allows agents to perform on-chain actions without human involvement. The company said the system is designed to close the gap between AI capability and real-world financial execution.
The wallets enable agents to hold funds and process payments. They can also trade tokens and manage yield strategies. Coinbase said the feature includes strict security guardrails to prevent misuse. The announcement was made in a blog post on Wednesday.
Developers Erik Reppel and Josh Nickerson said current AI tools often stop when money is required. They noted that agents can answer questions and summarize information but cannot complete financial tasks. Agentic Wallets is designed to remove that limitation and support automated transactions.
Coinbase Expands x402 Framework
The new product builds on Coinbase’s x402 protocol. The protocol supports autonomous crypto payments without human approval. It also expands on AgentKit, which allowed developers to embed wallets into agents. Agentic Wallets works as a plug-and-play system to give any agent a working wallet.
The company said the system enables continuous activity. Agents can rebalance funds when opportunities appear. Users set permissions in advance, and the agents then operate within those limits. Coinbase said this model shifts agents from advisory roles to active operational roles.
Agentic Wallets will support EVM chains and Solana at launch. It will also allow gasless transactions on Base, Coinbase’s Layer 2 network. The tool includes a command-line interface for monitoring agent activity. Users can check wallet balances and deploy new skills with simple commands.
Also Read: ARK Invest’s Strategic Shift: Sells $17M in Coinbase, Bets Big on Bullish
The firm released an accompanying agent-wallet-skills repository. The repository includes basic functions that agents can use immediately. The company said this will help developers set up autonomous behavior quickly. It also helps standardize how agents interact with wallets.
Strengthened Protection for AI Agents
Security features remain central to the release. Smart Security Guardrails include spending limits and session caps. Users can program additional controls. Private keys stay inside Coinbase infrastructure through enclave isolation and are not exposed to prompts or large language models.
The developers said AI agents are now easier to create. They noted that the industry is shifting from agents that guide users to agents that execute tasks. The company said guardrails ensure agents remain within trusted boundaries while performing these actions.
The company said the x402 protocol has processed 50 million transactions since last year. The protocol was updated in December with broader support for legacy payment rails.
Coinbase and Cloudflare launched the x402 Foundation in September to promote adoption of the system. Coinbase Developer Platform also introduced Payments MCP to allow major language models to access blockchain wallets.
Also Read: Coinbase Massive Shock: Brian Armstrong Loses $10B in 7 Months
