[DigitalToday reporter Yoonseo Lee] Circle unveiled a developer platform that lets artificial intelligence (AI) agents hold their own wallets and automatically pay using USDC.

Cointelegraph reported on May 11 that Circle introduced its new platform, Agent Stack, and moved to expand payment infrastructure for autonomous software systems.

The tools unveiled include agent-only wallets, a command-line-based developer interface, an agent services marketplace and a machine-to-machine micropayment protocol. The core feature is that AI agents are designed to transact autonomously on supported blockchains and payment networks under pre-set permissions, spending limits and policy controls.

Circle explained that its nano-payment infrastructure supports gas-free USDC transfers and enables payments as small as $0.000001. The structure targets high-frequency automated payment flows between software systems. Circle also said it designed Agent Wallets so AI agents can independently hold, send and manage funds, and unveiled Circle CLI to let developers and AI agents build applications on the Circle platform.

The launch comes as industry competition accelerates to connect stablecoins to financial infrastructure for AI agents. In March, MoonPay unveiled an open-source wallet standard with policy controls and cryptographic key storage features, and BitGo introduced AI developer tools that allow access to wallet tools and API materials through natural-language prompts.

Payments and network operators are also entering the market. Visa unveiled a command-line tool for AI payments that does not expose API keys. Tempo, backed by Stripe, launched a blockchain and payment protocol targeting stablecoin transactions between autonomous software systems. Coinbase said it will advance infrastructure for its Ethereum layer-2 network Base for an "AI agent economy", naming stablecoin payments, tokenised assets and developer tools as key areas.

Last week, Exodus unveiled XO Cash, a Solana-based stablecoin and a set of developer tools. The product is designed to support AI agent payments based on agent-linked wallets, adjustable spending controls and access to the Visa payment network.

The market also reacted immediately. DefiLlama data shows USDC in circulation at about $78 billion, making it the second-largest stablecoin by market capitalisation. Circle shares rose about 18 percent in intraday trading, and gains over the past month exceeded 51 percent, Yahoo Finance data shows.

The spread of AI automation is also affecting how companies operate. Coinbase said earlier this month it would cut about 14 percent of its total workforce, and Coinbase Chief Executive Brian Armstrong said the development of AI is one of the factors changing how teams operate. Against this backdrop, Circle's launch is seen as an attempt to broaden stablecoin use beyond simple support tools, toward AI agents holding wallets and executing payments.

Introducing Circle Agent Stack: financial infrastructure for the agentic economy. Agent Stack gives agents the tools to: → Hold and move USDC through Agent Wallets → Discover services through Agent Marketplace → Execute repeatable financial actions through Circle CLI All… pic.twitter.com/sdGpCHcd10