a16z Says AI Agent Payment Volumes Trail Expectations as Infrastructure and Adoption Grow

AI agents are seen as the next wave of automated payment users, capable of buying data, computing resources and digital services without human intervention. Andreessen Horowitz, or a16z, says transaction volumes remain limited, but crypto companies are building wallets, stablecoins and settlement tools that could underpin machine-to-machine payments.

In the month leading up to the latest report, a16z partner Noah Levine said AI agents processed about $1.6 million in actual payment volume, well below the level previously reported. Although a large market has yet to emerge, major crypto companies continue to invest in infrastructure, while adoption of developer tools is growing steadily.