Base Joins Ethereum and Tron in Expanding AI Agent Blockchain Infrastructure

Coinbase’s Ethereum layer-2 network Base has announced major system upgrades as part of its 2026 mission, vision, and strategy roadmap, aiming to support the growing AI agent economy. The network stated that AI agents are increasingly discovering crypto markets as their native economy, enabling them to build, own, and trade assets alongside users.

Base plans to upgrade its applications and blockchain into a “purpose-built market infrastructure,” introducing agent-native smart accounts, tokens, command line interface access, and model context protocol connectivity. Payment tools such as Coinbase’s x402 protocol will allow AI agents to conduct automated financial transactions.

The network also aims to bring major assets and markets onchain, including equities, commodities, perpetual contracts, spot trading, prediction markets, and tokenized real-world assets. Data shows real-world asset value has surged 240% over the past 12 months, while stablecoin market capitalization has increased 32%.

Industry Competition Intensifies Around Agentic Payments

Other major players are expanding similar initiatives. The Ethereum Foundation launched its dAI Team to position Ethereum as a settlement layer for machine economies, while Visa and Stripe-backed Tempo introduced agentic payment tools. Meanwhile, the Tron DAO recently expanded its AI-focused fund to $1 billion, targeting early-stage infrastructure startups.

Disclaimer

This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment, or legal advice. Cryptocurrency trading involves risk and may result in financial loss.