TLDR
- Anchorage launched an agentic banking service that allows AI agents to access and move funds without human input.
- The platform issues verifiable digital identities and sets preset spending limits and permissions for each agent.
- CEO Nathan McCauley said the agent-based finance sector could grow into a $1 trillion industry.
- Anchorage partnered with Google Cloud to provide the intelligence layer for agent coordination.
- The Solana Foundation introduced a gateway that lets AI agents pay for APIs using stablecoins.
Anchorage has introduced a new agentic banking service that allows AI agents to access and move funds without human input. The company said the system connects agents to traditional finance and crypto rails through a regulated infrastructure. CEO Nathan McCauley described the market as a potential $1 trillion industry during remarks on Tuesday.
Anchorage Unveils Agentic Banking Infrastructure
Anchorage rolled out the service to give AI agents direct access to banking tools and payment systems. The firm said the platform issues verifiable digital identities to each agent for secure transactions. It also sets preset spending limits, permissions, and policy controls to guide activity.
The company built audit features into the system to support regulatory compliance and reporting. McCauley said institutions already test automation in treasury, payments, and procurement. However, he added that legacy systems were never designed for non-human actors.
“Institutions are experimenting with automation across treasury, payments, and procurement,” McCauley said. “They’re doing it on top of systems that were never designed for non-human actors,” he added. He said the new infrastructure addresses that gap by enabling controlled and traceable transactions.
Anchorage launched the service alongside a partnership with Google Cloud. The cloud provider will supply the intelligence layer that enables agents to discover, negotiate, and coordinate with each other. The firms said the integration supports interactions across both fiat and crypto environments.
Speaking at the Consensus 2026 conference in Miami, McCauley outlined his outlook for the sector. “This is, in my view, set to be a trillion-dollar industry,” he said. He added that agents will pay each other, pay merchants, and receive payments.
Ripple Labs researcher Oliver Segovia commented on the partnership in a post on X. He said the deal shows closer ties between technology labs and regulated banks. “Hyperscalers typically viewed banks as tier 1 enterprise customers,” Segovia wrote.
He added that future alliances will deepen as labs move into regulated infrastructure. He also said banks will build intelligence layers on top of core systems. His comments followed the public announcement of the Anchorage and Google Cloud collaboration.
Solana and Oobit Expand Agent-Based Payments
On the same day, the Solana Foundation introduced a gateway service with Google Cloud. The foundation said the tool allows AI agents to pay for APIs using stablecoins on Solana. The service supports direct payments on-chain for digital services.
The Solana Foundation stated that the gateway connects agents to API providers through stablecoin settlements. It said the system simplifies automated payments for data and software access. The launch occurred during a week of industry events in Miami.
On April 30, Tether-backed wallet startup Oobit released a Visa-supported virtual card for AI agents. The company said the card enables online purchases using USDT without human involvement. Businesses can accept payments while agents manage transactions directly.
Oobit stated that the cards draw funds from Tether’s treasury in USDT. The structure allows agents to continue spending without topping up through fiat conversions. The company confirmed that the product integrates with Visa’s existing network for merchant acceptance.
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