MoonPay has introduced a virtual debit Mastercard that enables AI agents to spend stablecoins directly from self-custodied wallets at any online merchant accepting Mastercard. The card uses real-time crypto-to-fiat conversion at checkout, without requiring users to preload funds or move assets offchain. It is available to users in the UK and Latin America through MoonPay’s CLI and agent workflows.
MoonPay, a Miami-based financial technology company founded in 2019, announced the launch of its new debit card on Thursday. Developed in partnership with Monavate and Exodus Movement, Inc., the card connects onchain wallets to Mastercard rails. Smart contracts authorize spending at the point of purchase, maintaining user custody of funds, which are accessed only upon transaction approval and returned if declined, the company said. Identity verification is required before issuance, and users can delegate spending permissions to AI agents for programmatic use. The card is designed specifically for autonomous AI agents, extending onchain payments to traditional merchant networks. MoonPay stated it builds on its March release of an open-source wallet standard for AI agents to hold funds and execute transactions across blockchains. This move aligns with broader industry efforts to support AI-driven payments. Coinbase introduced its x402 standard for stablecoin payments in 2025 and recently updated it for usage-based pricing. Tempo, backed by Stripe, launched its mainnet and Machine Payments Protocol in March, predicting agent payments will soon surpass human ones on the internet. OKX unveiled a protocol for agent-to-agent payments, while Google and Visa released tools for programmatic transactions by AI agents.
