Karsten Wenzlaff, Advisor
August 26th, 2025
Karsten Wenzlaff is a Crowdfunding and Fintech Expert from Germany. He is Secretary-General of Digit[...]
The Agentic Web Begins. Coinbase Launches ‘Base Agent’
Agentic Web | Oct 28, 2024
Image: Freepik
Meet Base Agent: Coinbase’s Vision with Crypto AI Agents Driving the Economy
Coinbase has launched 'Base Agent', a new tool where AI powered bots (read: programs) manage and execute crypto transactions independently. The tool was developed alongside OpenAI and Replit and catapults Coinbase into the future where digital economies will potentially rely more on smart agents more than humans.
See: How PhD-Level AI Agents Will Change Financial Services
Imagine a situation where AI agents have their own crypto wallets, invoke transactions, and even build apps directly on chain without any human help. This is a paradigm shift called the Agentic Web which rethinks economic roles with AI agents as major contributors while advancing automation.
Introducing Based Agent: create AI agents with full onchain functionality on @base in less than 3 minutes.
The era of Autonomous Onchain Agents is here
Built with @CoinbaseDev SDK, @OpenAI , and @Replit
oh, and you can make it an @X bot too 😉 pic.twitter.com/RgbXp290bV
— lincoln.base.eth (@MurrLincoln) October 26, 2024
Immediate Impacts
1. Automating Small Payments
Base Agent’s main advantage is its ability to automate small and recurring transactions. AI agents can now manage regular expenses like API payments or small service fees on their own. This functionality i s a game changer for developers and small businesses who will no longer need to oversee each process manually.
2. Streamlined Operations in Decentralized Finance
AI agents can simplify workflows by automating transactions and in doing so, reducing human errors. They can autonomously handle smart contracts making financial transactions and the systems that power them more efficient and secure.
Longer Term Economy of Autonomous Agents
A. The Growth of an "Agentic Web"
The release of Base Agent may soon result in an “Agentic Web”, a digital first economy where AI agents can interact, make deals, and trade with each other and with humans. This could open the door to a future where economic activity isn’t led by just humans but pioneered by creating new digital models where AI plays roles as both buyer and seller.
See: Have You Been Interviewed by an AI Avatar Recruiter?
As Agentic markets grow we will start experiencing entire economic models centered around autonomous agents that earn, spend, and invest on their own. Think of AI agents buying digital assets, investing in blockchain projects, or even creating decentralized applications (dApps). This would be a massive shift in a new financial world where decentralized AI and automated financial systems are are prominent.
B. The Elephant in the Room (Regulations)
Having independent agents active in the market raises tricky regulatory questions. Already today, regulators in many jurisdictions dislike automated trading systems for a variety of reasons (see this Automated market makers report by the BoC and OSC), as it brings a host of questions that either have not been asked before or do not have easy answers from a regulatory perspective.
See: AI’s Double-Edged Sword of Retail Investing
How should ownership, accountability, and compliance be handled when non-humans are involved? Should AI agents have a form of legal status? And how will authorities handle taxes or rules for them? The growth of an AI driven economy will likely need new regulations to tackle these and other questions. Expect major push back for anyone in a position of power or authority today.
C. Increasing Need for Security
As AI agents become more independent they’ll engage in increasingly complex interactions, establishing intricate networks with other agents. If that technology isn't science fiction and here today, there's an even more pressing need for increased security, as any vulnerable agent could impact a network of connected systems. Stability and security will be an essential part of digital economies.
Outlook
Coinbase’s Base Agent unveils the future, one where AI bots interact autonomously in digital and financial sectors.
See: Salesforce to Transform Slack Into AI Agent Hub
This is leaps and bounds beyond the case of integrating AI for efficiency but one where an entirely new kind of economy could exist that blends economic systems and incentives, overhauling how humanity thinks about and uses money, trade, and digital operations.
The real question is: Are we prepared for a world where AI isn’t just an assistant but a full participant in the economy?
The National Crowdfunding & Fintech Association (NCFA Canada) is a financial innovation ecosystem that provides education, market intelligence, industry stewardship, networking and funding opportunities and services to thousands of community members and works closely with industry, government, partners and affiliates to create a vibrant and innovative fintech and funding industry in Canada. Decentralized and distributed, NCFA is engaged with global stakeholders and helps incubate projects and investment in fintech, alternative finance, crowdfunding, peer-to-peer finance, payments, digital assets and tokens, artificial intelligence, blockchain, cryptocurrency, regtech, and insurtech sectors. Join Canada's Fintech & Funding Community today FREE! Or become a contributing member and get perks. For more information, please visit: www.ncfacanada.org
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