MoonPay Launches Virtual Card Enabling AI Agents to Spend Stablecoins

MoonPay is expanding its AI-driven payment infrastructure with the launch of a virtual debit card designed for programmatic spending. The tool allows both human users and AI agents to utilize stablecoins from self-custodied on-chain wallets at any merchant accepting Mastercard. Developed in collaboration with Monavate and Exodus Movement, Inc., the card bridges the gap between decentralized finance and traditional payment rails. By employing smart contracts to authorize spending at the point of purchase, the system eliminates the requirement to move assets off-chain or preload funds into a centralized account. Currently available to users in the United Kingdom and Latin America, the card is accessible through MoonPay’s command-line interface (CLI) and agent workflows. The infrastructure ensures that funds are only accessed upon transaction authorization and are returned immediately if a payment is declined, maintaining user custody throughout the process. This launch is part of a wider industry race to build 'machine-to-machine' payment layers. Similar initiatives include Coinbase's x402 standard, Stripe-backed Tempo's Machine Payments Protocol, and programmatic tools recently released by Google and Visa. The shift toward agent-driven transactions suggests a future where software agents execute complex financial operations autonomously, potentially increasing the velocity of stablecoin usage in real-world commerce.