Key Highlights
- Coinbase and AWS integrated x402 payments into Bedrock Agent Core.
- Transactions settle in nearly 200 milliseconds with compliance controls.
- Developers can deploy payment-enabled AI agents using a single API.
Crypto exchange Coinbase today announced a partnership with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to integrate its x402 discovery layer and wallet infrastructure into Amazon Bedrock AgentCore Payments. The integration enables autonomous AI agents to make compliant micropayments using USDC.
According to the official announcement, the new AgentCore Payments feature allows AWS developers to create AI agents that can independently discover services, make instant micropayments, and complete tasks without human intervention.
Integration enables faster settlement
Settlements happen in about 200 milliseconds on Base and Solana using USDC, at a fraction of a cent per transaction. The capabilities further include managed micropayments via a single API call where agents never access private keys; time-bound spending limits; built-in Coinbase compliance controls for sanctions screening; and full end-to-end visibility with logs, metrics, and a dashboard.
Developers will be able to activate the feature directly within current AWS Bedrock AgentCore environments without new infrastructure.
Brian Foster, Head of Infrastructure Growth at Coinbase, said, “This integration gives AWS developers a simple way to build agents that can discover services, pay in USDC, and keep moving,” Coinbase highlighted. AWS developers can now give their agents financial autonomy in a comprehensive managed solution. It just works.”
The system uses the open x402 protocol, which leverages the HTTP 402 “Payment Required” status code to permit machine-native payments. The x402 Foundation governs x402, having both AWS and Coinbase as members.
In just one year, the protocol processed more than 169 million payments. Agents are able to access thousands of x402-enabled services via the AgentCore Gateway, comprising providers like Exa, Messari, and Browserbase.
Integration of traditional assets
In a separate development, Coinbase unveiled gold and silver perpetual futures trading contracts on its advanced trading systems yesterday. The newly introduced GOLD-PERP and SILVER-PERP contracts, which represent one ounce of the particular metal each, are linearly designed and tradeable in USDC without any expiration dates.
The contracts allow for leverage of up to 25x, minimum order requirements, and an order book. Eligible non-US retail and institutional traders can trade these perpetual futures contracts on the Coinbase International Exchange and Coinbase Advanced platform. Coinbase Derivatives is the platform that US traders can utilize for trading gold and silver futures.
Bridging AI and crypto
The new development is unique in the sense that it marks the first instance where a leading cloud services provider launches crypto micropayments natively in AI agents. This will see both Coinbase and AWS take the lead in bringing artificial intelligence and cryptocurrencies together through this collaboration. The integration by Coinbase supports the use of USDC on blockchain platforms, including Base and Solana.
Through addressing payments, compliance, and governance all in a single managed solution, the collaboration reduces the complexity in adopting autonomous AI agents in tasks involving data sourcing, real-time research, back-end processing, and dynamic consumption of services.
Coinbase highlighted that its integration supports the growing trend of using AI autonomously but in a manner that preserves safety and adheres to regulations. Through the Coinbase-AWS collaboration, companies could quickly embrace autonomous systems driven by crypto networks.
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