Coinbase successfully carries out first AI-run crypto trade

Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong has shared with us that he and his team have managed to successfully execute their first-ever AI-to-AI crypto transaction. According to Brian, two AI systems traded what they call “AI tokens.” 

Now, these AI tokens are basically units of computation—think of them as “words” or commands that one AI gives to another. So, in a weird but fascinating twist, they used tokens to buy tokens.

Here’s the kicker: these AI agents don’t need a bank account. They don’t get their hands on credit cards, and you won’t see them lining up for a savings account anytime soon. But they can have crypto wallets. 

And now, thanks to Coinbase, they can use USDC (that’s USD Coin for those who don’t know) on the Base network to make transactions.

They can buy and sell with humans, merchants, or even other AIs. And the best part? These transactions are fast, global, and—get this—free. At least according to Brian.

Until now, AIs were pretty much limited to whatever you programmed them to do. You could tell an AI to do a job, and it’d run the task, but there were always walls it couldn’t break through. 

Need it to book a flight? Forget about it. Want it to buy you a subscription for some fancy API? Nope, can’t do it. And don’t even think about asking it to pay for some article behind a paywall. All this stuff requires a credit card or a bank account—stuff AI doesn’t have.

But now, Coinbase is claiming to have opened up a whole new world. By giving AI agents a way to handle crypto wallets, we’re talking about a future where these bots could actually transact in real-time. 

Picture this: your AI assistant not only recommends a service but pays for it, books it, and maybe even argues with customer support if something goes wrong. That’s what’s on the horizon now.

Sure, there are still limits. The technology isn’t perfect, and the whole concept is still evolving. Coinbase’s latest AI-to-AI payment offers impressive possibilities, but there’s still a long way to go.