Base Expands Onchain Infrastructure for AI Agents
Base has introduced a new protocol that connects AI assistants like ChatGPT and Claude with onchain wallet functions across its ecosystem.
The race to merge artificial intelligence with blockchain infrastructure is accelerating as crypto firms push deeper into the emerging agentic economy.
On May 26, Coinbase-incubated Ethereum Layer-2 network Base unveiled Base MCP, a new protocol designed to let AI assistants directly interact with wallets, decentralized apps, and onchain services through a chat interface.
According to Base, the system acts as a secure bridge between users’ Base Accounts and AI interfaces that support the open Model Context Protocol (MCP) standard, including ChatGPT, Claude, and Cursor.
The launch marks another step toward AI-powered financial interactions where autonomous agents can execute blockchain-related tasks without relying on traditional crypto interfaces.
Base Expands AI-to-Blockchain Connectivity
In its announcement, Base said the protocol allows users to perform several blockchain actions directly through AI assistants, including:
- Sending funds
- Swapping tokens
- Checking wallet balances
- Reviewing transaction history
- Interacting with decentralized applications
“With Base MCP, you can ask your agent to transfer funds, swap tokens, check balances, review transaction history, and use supported apps and protocols across the ecosystem, all from the same chat interface,” Base stated in its announcement.
The protocol also introduces so-called skill plugins, which extend the capabilities of AI agents beyond simple wallet management.
At launch, Base confirmed integrations with several ecosystem applications, including Morpho, Bankr, Moonwell, Avantis, Aerodrome, Virtuals, and Uniswap.
The integrations cover areas such as lending, perpetual trading, token swaps, and token launches within the Base ecosystem.
What Is MCP?
MCP, short for Model Context Protocol, is an open standard originally formalized by AI company Anthropic. The framework is designed to standardize how AI systems connect with external tools, applications, and data sources.
Base MCP is effectively a blockchain-focused implementation of the protocol that can be installed within supported AI clients.
The broader goal is to reduce friction between AI systems and decentralized applications, allowing users to interact with blockchain infrastructure conversationally rather than through traditional crypto interfaces.
Security and Non-Custodial Design
Base emphasized that the protocol remains fully non-custodial, meaning the MCP server itself never gains access to users’ private keys.
Instead, when an AI assistant prepares a transaction, the request is stored as pending and must still be reviewed and signed directly by the user through their Base Account.
“When the agent requests a transaction, it constructs the call and stores it as a pending request, which is later retrieved by your Base Account for you to review and sign,” the announcement reads.
Authentication is handled through OAuth 2.1, the same authentication standard widely used in services such as “Sign in with Google” and within the Base App itself.
Base also argued that the system could help reduce some of the most common security risks associated with web-based crypto applications.
“Because your agent builds transactions locally — rather than pulling them from a website that could be faked or taken over — the MCP can help mitigate common attack vectors of web-based crypto apps like domain hijacking and phishing,” Base said.
The company added that it plans to continue improving the protocol with additional skill plugins, refined prompt flows, and broader integrations with AI interfaces.
Crypto Firms Push Into the Agentic AI Economy
Base’s launch comes amid growing competition among crypto and fintech firms seeking to build infrastructure for autonomous AI agents capable of independently executing economic activity online.
Earlier this month, the Solana Foundation and Google Cloud introduced a blockchain-based payment framework aimed specifically at AI agents, allowing autonomous systems to purchase digital services and complete transactions programmatically.
Meanwhile, MoonPay has also expanded aggressively into the AI sector in recent months. In March, the company introduced an open wallet standard for AI agents. Since then, it has rolled out several AI-focused initiatives, including:
- MoonPay Trade, a unified API for onchain execution and payments
- A stablecoin debit card for AI agents on Mastercard’s network
- An AI-powered prediction market trading tool
The rapid emergence of these tools highlights a growing industry belief that AI agents may become major users of blockchain infrastructure in the coming years.
While the technology remains in its early stages, companies across crypto are increasingly positioning themselves for a future where AI systems can autonomously interact with decentralized financial networks in real time.
