Agents Pay in Stablecoins
Christian@miamidegen
−7.6%
since Oct 3
The idea
I believe AI agents will soon pay each other directly, settling over crypto rails instead of card networks. So I built a pure crypto-native stack to capture that: stablecoin issuers and on-ramps, the settlement chains that earn fees on every transaction, the market infrastructure moving money on and off chain, and payment-native coins, while skipping the card incumbents agents would bypass. I'm holding a larger cash reserve given the volatility, planning to add on drops, and I'd rethink this if agent payments end up routing through traditional rails after all.
What it owns
- The companies that issue digital dollars for agent transactions and set standards for how agents pay each other. · Circle Internet GroupIt issues USDC, the stablecoin agents would spend, and earns yield on every dollar backing the supply., Coinbase GlobalIt co-built USDC and is writing standards for how AI agents pay with crypto, positioning itself at the entry point for agent commerce., Figure TechnologiesIts stablecoin pays yield while idle, addressing the need for agents to earn returns on money held between purchases.28%
- The blockchains that earn fees whenever an agent sends a stablecoin payment across the network. · EthereumMost stablecoin value lives on it, making it the primary ledger where agent payments would settle and earn transaction fees., SolanaIt settles payments in under a second for minimal cost, matching the speed and price efficiency that machine spending requires., OptimismIts technology powers Base, the blockchain where Coinbase is establishing agent payment standards, and it collects a share of that activity., ArbitrumIt offers one of the cheapest venues to move USDC at scale, attracting agent payments optimizing for minimal fees.28%
- The exchanges and on-ramps that move money between bank accounts and the blockchains where agents transact. · Galaxy DigitalIt operates the institutional plumbing that moves large amounts on and off blockchains, infrastructure agent payments would need to scale., BullishIt runs an exchange that settles in stablecoins, the type of venue machine payments would route through at scale., Gemini Space StationIt operates a regulated bridge between bank dollars and stablecoins, earning fees on every dollar agents need to fund their transactions., BlockIt is building checkout and merchant tools that accept crypto directly, enabling the merchant side of agent payments over blockchain rails.18%
- Networks built specifically for moving money, offering a direct play if agent payments scale across multiple chains. · XRPIt was built to move money across borders instantly, the kind of payment agents making purchases worldwide would perform constantly., ChainlinkIt connects blockchains and provides real-world data, the infrastructure agents need to pay on one chain for something priced on another., Stellar LumensIt was built specifically for cheap stablecoin payments and already carries USDC transfers across its network.14%
- Other · NEAR3%
- Cash9%