Agentic Payments on Base Surpass 100 Million Transactions as AI-Driven Activity Grows

Agentic payment activity on Coinbase’s Base blockchain has crossed 100 million transactions, showing that machine to machine payments are gaining real traction beyond early testing stages.

According to a new report from Chainalysis, wallets using Coinbase’s x402 protocol generated more than 100 million transactions within about nine months of the protocol’s launch. The milestone highlights growing adoption of automated payment systems powered by software agents.

The x402 protocol allows AI agents and software applications to make onchain payments directly through web requests. When an agent needs access to a service such as an API, data feed, or digital resource, it can automatically complete a stablecoin payment without requiring human approval.

Growth Continues Beyond Early Memecoin Activity

A large share of x402’s early growth came from the PING memecoin project, which required users to make payments through the protocol to mint tokens. The project attracted significant user interest and helped drive transaction volume higher.

While activity slowed after the PING surge ended, usage remained steady. Chainalysis found that transaction volumes stabilized and the value of payments increased over time.

In early 2025, transactions worth more than $1 represented about 49% of total value transferred through x402. By early 2026, that figure had risen to 95%, suggesting the network is increasingly being used for larger and more meaningful transactions rather than simple micropayments.

AI Agents Could Drive Future Blockchain Growth

Industry leaders have increasingly pointed to AI agents as a major future source of blockchain activity. Supporters argue that crypto networks are ideal for automated payments because they operate 24/7 and can process transactions without constant user involvement.

Executives including Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong, Circle CEO Jeremy Allaire and former Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao have all expressed confidence that AI agents could become significant users of blockchain networks and stablecoins.

Chainalysis data also showed improving wallet retention rates, indicating growing long-term engagement with agentic payment systems. As AI adoption expands, automated onchain payments may become one of the fastest-growing use cases for blockchain technology.