Coinbase launched Coinbase for Agents, enabling AI systems to trade crypto, rebalance portfolios, and make payments on users’ behalf through natural language commands.
AI Agent News
Coinbase launched a new product on June 11 called Coinbase for Agents, a platform that connects AI systems directly to users' Coinbase accounts. Agents can trade cryptocurrencies, access market data, and make payments on a user's behalf. The product is compatible with AI assistants, including ChatGPT and Anthropic's Claude.
Agents Trade, Rebalance, and Buy on Command
Users control their agents through natural language instructions. They can assign recurring tasks such as weekly portfolio rebalancing or automated purchases based on a defined investment strategy. Lincoln Murr, head of AI product at Coinbase, said he uses the product on his own account. He described setting his agent to read news weekly, allocate a small discretionary budget to assets it identifies, and maintain a target portfolio allocation.
Coinbase for Agents is available in two formats. The first is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) integration that connects to web-based AI platforms. The second is a command-line interface built for developers. Supported environments include ChatGPT, Claude, Hermes Agent, OpenAI Codex, and OpenClaw.
At launch, agents can access spot crypto and derivatives markets on Coinbase. Murr said equity trading is planned within three weeks and prediction market support is expected in early July 2026. The company's stated goal is to make every asset class on its platform available to agents over time.
The platform integrates x402, an open payments protocol developed at Coinbase for machine-to-machine transactions. X402 allows agents to pay for premium APIs, paywalled content, data, and computing resources without manual checkout. Over 10,000 online merchants have already integrated x402, according to The Block. Murr said x402 will eventually support payments on Base and Solana (SOL).
Safety Controls Limit Agent Scope
Coinbase also announced Coinbase Advisor alongside the launch. The company describes it as an SEC- and CFTC-registered in-app financial advisor. It provides AI-powered investment recommendations directly within the Coinbase app.
Safety controls are built into the platform. Users can create isolated sub-accounts that restrict agent access to their main Coinbase balance. Spending limits, trade size caps, and service access restrictions are also available. "Think of it like giving someone a dedicated budget card rather than your bank account," Coinbase said in its announcement. Murr said the design was shaped in part by concern over what could happen if an agent acted outside its intended scope.
Coinbase is one of several firms building for AI agents. Gemini and OKX have both opened their platforms to AI-controlled accounts. MetaMask is rolling out an Agent Wallet for the Ethereum ecosystem. MoonPay launched MoonAgents in early June 2026, allowing Claude and OpenAI Codex to interact with crypto wallets and token swaps. On June 10, Mastercard introduced Agent Pay for Machines, backed by more than 30 partners, including Coinbase, Stripe, Cloudflare, and Ripple. Coinbase cited forecasts that suggest AI agents could account for as much as 20% of global e-commerce activity by 2030.
Related Article: Ripple Lets AI Agents Pay With XRP and RLUSD via x402
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