Coinbase, stablecoins gain traction as AI payment use expands in the U.S.

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Coinbase & stablecoins in AI payments

Highlights

AI-driven micropayments expose conventional fee structures, with Stripe charging 2.9% plus 30 cents per U.S. transaction, making stablecoins more attractive for low-value AI payments.
In 2024, the SEC approved BTC ETFs, BlackRock's iShares Bitcoin Trust reached $66 billion, and the July 2025 GENIUS Act imposed new stablecoin reserve and reporting requirements.
Coinbase's Base network processed over 138 million stablecoin payments in 2025—87% under 10 cents—while Amazon tested AI payment tools using Coinbase and Stripe infrastructure.

AI agents drive demand for crypto rails

As reported by Weiss Ratings, a growing share of the case for crypto now centers on its use as payment infrastructure for AI systems rather than on speculation alone. The article argues that autonomous AI agents need a way to make frequent, low-value transactions, such as paying for live data, compute capacity or checks from more advanced AI models.

That payment pattern creates a cost problem for credit cards and other conventional methods. The article cites Stripe's standard U.S. processing rate of 2.9% plus 30 cents, a fee structure that works for larger purchases but becomes uneconomic on payments worth just a few cents.

Stablecoins operating on blockchain networks are presented as an alternative because they can settle quickly and largely avoid the flat-fee burden that makes micropayments difficult. Chainalysis' Eric Jardine told Fortune that the combination of speed and low settlement cost suits AI-to-AI commerce.

Wall Street acceptance broadens crypto's role

Crypto's growing role in AI payments follows a broader shift in its standing across mainstream finance. The article points to three developments, Wall Street's deeper participation, clearer federal rules and rapid growth in stablecoin supply.

It notes that in 2024 the SEC allowed firms to offer BTC funds that trade like stocks, and says BlackRock's iShares Bitcoin Trust holds about $66 billion. It also highlights the July 2025 GENIUS Act as the first major federal crypto law, requiring stablecoin issuers to hold reserves in cash and short-term Treasury bills and to report them monthly.

Stablecoins now total about $296 billion, according to DefiLlama, the article says. It adds that Coinbase has launched x402, a tool designed to let AI agents pay with stablecoins, and that Chainalysis counted more than 138 million such payments on Coinbase's Base network, up from about 1,500 in mid-2025.

More than 87% of those transactions were worth less than 10 cents, according to the article. The purchases included computing power, live web data, code security scans and access to more capable AI models, suggesting that crypto rails are beginning to support the underlying services AI systems need to operate.

The article also says Amazon began testing a payment tool for AI agents on its cloud service in May using infrastructure from Coinbase and Stripe. For investors, it identifies Coinbase and Circle as public companies closest to this trend, while cautioning that both remain exposed to wider crypto-market volatility.

As we previously wrote, a KPMG survey found AI agents are boosting efficiency at large U.S. firms, even as broader transformation lags.

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