Mastercard Launches AI Agent Payments with 30+ Crypto Partners
MA•Mastercard launched Agent Pay for Machines, enabling AI agents to transact via cards, bank accounts and stablecoins at high speed and low latency. More than 30 partners—including Coinbase, Stripe and RippleX—will integrate, building on Mastercard’s Crypto Partner Program and $1.8B BVNK acquisition to expand stablecoin settlement.
1. Mastercard Introduces Agent Pay for Machines
Mastercard’s Agent Pay for Machines platform allows autonomous AI agents and connected devices to initiate and settle transactions using credit cards, bank accounts and approved stablecoins. The system supports very high transaction volumes at minimal value and millisecond latency, targeting seamless background payments between services and platforms.
2. Collaboration with Crypto and Blockchain Partners
Over 30 firms have committed to the launch, including Coinbase, OKX, Polygon, RippleX, Aave Labs, Alchemy, Anchorage Digital, BVNK, MoonPay, Stripe, Cloudflare and the Solana Foundation. These partnerships enable diverse on-ramps and off-ramps for digital assets, linking Mastercard’s network with major crypto infrastructure providers.
3. Strategic Crypto Acquisitions and Programs
This rollout builds on Mastercard’s Crypto Partner Program, now encompassing over 85 digital asset firms, and follows its up-to-$1.8 billion acquisition of BVNK to enhance stablecoin issuance and settlement. Mastercard has also expanded support for regulated stablecoins such as USDC and RLUSD on enterprise blockchain platforms.
4. Future Outlook and Growth Impact
By embedding AI-driven payment workflows and deepening crypto rails integration, Mastercard aims to capture new transaction volumes and service revenues. The strategy could drive incremental growth in processing fees and position the company at the center of emerging machine-to-machine commerce.
