Brian Armstrong says the rise of AI agents is beginning to reshape how commerce works, as machines increasingly transact on their own and look for cheaper, more efficient payment rails.
In an interview with Goldman Sachs Chairman and CEO David Solomon, Armstrong says AI systems are moving beyond analysis and decision-making into direct economic activity.
Armstrong says AI agents are already starting to initiate transactions, creating a new need for native digital payment infrastructure.
“AI agents are now starting to make more transactions and need to go pay for things. And I think they’re increasingly going to use stablecoin rails.”
He says that shift will drive the growth of machine-to-machine payments, as online merchants adapt their checkout systems to accommodate autonomous agents.
“Agentic commerce is kind of a buzzword, like a lot of e-commerce shops are trying to make sure that agents can come and check out on their website.”
According to Armstrong, those changes create a new set of opportunities as payment behavior evolves. He emphasizes that it is not about disrupting foundational AI models themselves, but about changing how commerce flows through the economy, while opening the doors for merchants to reconsider traditional payment costs tied to credit card networks.
“So I don’t think it’s going to change the landscape of how the major foundational models are operating. I think they’ll all integrate it. What it does do is it’s a shift in how commerce is happening. And so that’s an opportunity for people to say, ‘Hey, maybe we don’t want to be paying 2% or 3% in credit card fees. Let’s accept stablecoin payments.’
And so it’s a wedge, and it’s a moment, like a shift, where you can start to get your foot in the door.”
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