Friday saw crypto payments firm MoonPay reveal its latest innovation: a virtual debit card that permits AI agents—autonomous software entities representing users—to transact with stablecoins at any online merchant accepting Mastercard.
Dubbed the MoonAgents Card, this product converts cryptocurrency into fiat currency during each purchase, thereby streamlining the transition from decentralized finance to mainstream commerce. (Note: MoonPay Ventures is an investor in Dastan, parent company of editorially independent Decrypt.)
“AI agents are already adept at managing wallets, executing trades, and transferring value on-chain,” stated Ivan Soto-Wright, founder and CEO of MoonPay, “but they lacked the ability to spend at merchants. Now, that’s changed.”
The card’s introduction stems from a collaboration with Monavate, a regulated payments infrastructure provider, and Exodus, a self-custody wallet company. This move is part of a larger trend where fintech firms are developing financial frameworks for a world where AI systems, not just humans, manage transactions.
In contrast to competing offerings that necessitate pre-loading funds into custodial accounts prior to spending, the MoonAgents Card enables agents to spend directly from an on-chain wallet at transaction time. Wallet custody remains uninterrupted, and users retain the ability to revoke agent access anytime.
“AI agents will engage in constant transactions at machine speed across millions of merchants,” noted JP Richardson, co-founder and CEO of Exodus. “Exodus has dedicated a decade to developing self-custodial wallets for individuals. MoonAgents Card extends this infrastructure to agents, allowing direct on-chain wallet spending. The wallets and cards fit for that future differ significantly from today’s offerings—and we are building towards it.”
The company highlighted substantial momentum around its developer tools. Since launch, the MoonPay CLI—a command-line interface integral to the product—has processed over 4 million tool calls, with the first million taking 30 days and the second million just seven.
Currently available in the United Kingdom and Latin America, plans are underway for expansion into the United States and European Union within the next few months. Issuance of the card requires identity verification.