For years, the crypto industry’s biggest challenge has been finding users beyond traders. Now, some of its largest companies think they’ve found them in AI agents.

Although speculation still underpins much of crypto’s business, companies are trying to build a second growth engine by turning agents into users of crypto wallets, stablecoins and payment networks.

For example, this summer, Kraken said it’s rebuilding its app to be able to give users access to AI agents capable of continuously monitoring markets, identifying investing opportunities and executing trades in real time. Coinbase launched a new tool that will allow agents like ChatGPT or Claude to execute crypto trades using natural language instructions. And in May, Circle