Alchemy Introduces Agent-Based Access to Blockchain APIs - Crypto Economy

TL;DR

• Alchemy enables AI agents to autonomously purchase compute credits using USDC.
• The system uses Coinbase’s x402 standard to trigger onchain payments automatically.
• Developers building DeFi agents and bots can now eliminate manual billing steps.

Alchemy, a blockchain infrastructure company, just activated a system that allows artificial intelligence agents to purchase compute credits and access blockchain network data completely autonomously, using onchain wallets and USDC on Coinbase’s Base network. No human intervention. No manual billing. No operational interruptions.

The mechanics are straightforward: an AI agent queries blockchain networks, checks wallet balances across multiple chains, verifies non-fungible token (NFT) ownership, or pulls live token price data. When the agent exhausts its prepaid compute credits, Alchemy issues a payment request that the agent settles automatically in USDC

No person needs to approve or execute the process. Accounts can load with as little as $1 in USDC, and the agent keeps operating until the balance runs out and another automatic payment cycle begins.


The system runs on Coinbase’s x402 payment standard, which converts an HTTP “402 Payment Required” response — an error code that has existed since the early days of the internet but never saw widespread use — into an onchain billing trigger

In plain terms, when a web service needs to charge for its usage, the x402 standard lets it make that request directly through the HTTP protocol, and the agent responds with a crypto payment without anyone stepping in. That enables machine-to-machine transactions with no manual step anywhere in the process.

What This Means for Developers and Autonomous Applications

Nikil Viswanathan, CEO of Alchemy, explained that the system targets developers building autonomous decentralized finance (DeFi) agents, portfolio management bots, and multi-step onchain workflows. Viswanathan noted that applications including Robinhood Crypto, Uniswap, OpenSea, Aave, and 0x already rely on Alchemy’s infrastructure to power their transactions. Now, AI agents can access that same infrastructure without a human touching the process at any point.

Alchemy’s launch arrives as interest in autonomous AI agents grew sharply across the tech and financial sectors. According to McKinsey data published in November, 23% of surveyed organizations reported expanding their use of agent-based systems. That number reflects a real shift in how companies approach the automation of complex tasks.

Other players in the sector move in the same direction. Coinbase recently introduced “Agentic Wallets,” a wallet infrastructure built to let AI agents spend, earn, and operate digital assets autonomously, including managing DeFi positions and rebalancing portfolios

Meanwhile, AI.com, a platform founded by Crypto.com CEO Kris Marszalek, announced in February plans to launch an AI agent for retail users capable of executing stock trades and automating routine digital tasks.

On the independent developer front, the Monad community published the results of its Moltiverse Hackathon, where 16 winning projects combined AI agents with token structures. Selected projects include a venture capital agent that evaluates and invests automatically, AI-driven multiplayer battle arenas where agents compete as participants, and trading card games governed by software rather than human players.

The pattern is clear: autonomous AI agents are no longer a lab experiment. Alchemy just gave them their own payment mechanism.