AI Agent Transactions Reach New Heights, Highlighting Dependence on Stablecoins

A report by Keyrock has highlighted the rapid growth of AI agent transactions in the past year. According to the report, which was released in collaboration with Coinbase and blockchain Tempo, AI agents have settled over $73 million across 176 million transactions since May last year.

The average transaction size was around 31 cents, with more than 98% of settlements taking place in Circle's USDC stablecoin. This dominance of USDC has been attributed to its ability to handle sub-dollar transactions without economic collapse, making it a popular choice for machine-to-machine payments.

However, the report also warns that the reliance on a single issuer's stability and regulatory standing poses significant systemic risks. If Circle were to face a de-peg event or sustained downtime, the entire agent economy could be impacted.