AI Agents Made 138 Million Crypto Payments in a Year. Most Were Tiny
60-second summary
Chainalysis reports that Coinbase’s x402 protocol processes 138 million crypto payments in 2026, up from roughly 1,500 in mid‑2025, with U.S. wallets accounting for the majority of AI‑model spending; most transactions are micro‑payments. The surge demonstrates rapid adoption of AI‑driven services on blockchain, prompting heightened regulatory scrutiny and potentially boosting demand for low‑fee, high‑throughput networks.
A new Chainalysis report found payments through Coinbase’s x402 protocol surged from about 1,500 in mid-2025 to more than 138 million by Q3 2026, with U.S. wallets dominating spending on AI models.