Coinbase makes further inroads into AI payments with a new MCP for the Base network

(SeaPRwire) –   On Tuesday, Coinbase revealed a new tool enabling users of its Base blockchain network to connect with services such as Cursor and Claude. Dubbed Base MCP, this tool simplifies the use of AI for executing cryptocurrency transactions like lending and trading. This release aligns with a larger effort by Coinbase and payment titan Stripe to reshape the technical foundations of digital commerce.

The term Base MCP references the Model Context Protocol, a widely used standard introduced by Anthropic in 2024 to streamline communication between agents and AI models. Lincoln Murr, Coinbase’s Head of AI Product, described MCPs as a convenient “wrapper” for APIs, allowing for diverse data requests without the need for strict coding constraints.

Speaking with , Murr noted that integrating an MCP tool enhances the versatility of Base wallets, as users can authorize their agents to execute a broader array of transactions across various platforms. Coinbase added in a statement: “Unlike isolated agentic wallets confined to a terminal, your Base Account goes wherever you go—ensuring your trades, history, and portfolio remain synchronized whether you are using an agent or the Base App.”

Introducing Base MCP marks another step forward in Coinbase’s efforts to drive adoption of its x402 payment standard, launched last May. Named after a payment protocol from the early days of the internet that remained unused for decades, the standard has found new relevance with the rise of agentic commerce.

These developments are important because the combination of these standards—x402 for transactions and MCPs for communication—paves the way for a novel form of commerce centered on microtransactions for data and research.

At present, accessing data generally requires monthly API subscriptions paid via credit card, making individual, one-off transactions financially impractical. However, agentic commerce allows users to direct AI agents to gather small pieces of information from across the internet and pay for them using stablecoins like USDC. In contrast to traditional credit card networks, blockchain networks like Base make thousands of microtransactions feasible, as transaction fees can be under a penny.

Despite the immense potential of this emerging commerce model, it currently remains highly experimental and small-scale. A recent study by Keyrock revealed that agent-driven transactions amounted to just $73 million over the last year—a minuscule fraction of the $14.5 trillion Visa processes each year. Nevertheless, agentic commerce has the potential for rapid growth as industry giants pour resources into the sector. Alongside Coinbase and Stripe, major corporations like Google and Visa are also actively participating in this space.