AI Agent Economy Sees $73M Settled Through Stablecoin Payments

A report by Keyrock, in collaboration with Coinbase and Tempo, reveals that AI agents have transitioned from theoretical concepts to an active economic ecosystem, settling $73 million across 176 million transactions between May 2025 and April 2026. Traditional payment rails remain unsuitable for these micro-transactions due to high fixed fees, leaving stablecoins—specifically USDC, which accounts for 98% of settlements—as the primary settlement layer. While this growth signals significant adoption, researchers warn that the ecosystem's heavy reliance on a single issuer creates systemic risk, as there is currently no viable fallback if the stablecoin provider faces regulatory or technical challenges.

(Source：Cointelegraph)