What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
iTechGuides is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Learn more
AI agents made more than 138 million payments through the x402 protocol on the Base network by the end of Chainalysis’s 2026 reporting period. The number signals rapid growth in machine-to-machine commerce, but it is a count of identifiable x402 transactions—not a census of every AI payment and not proof that each transaction came from an independent autonomous agent.
The strongest geographic finding is narrower: among geolocated payments for AI-model inference, U.S.-linked wallets accounted for 88.1%, while Chinese-linked wallets accounted for 0.1%.
What the 138 million transactions measure
Chainalysis reported the figure on October 14, 2026, in its North America Crypto Adoption analysis. It counts x402 activity observed on Base during the company’s reporting period. Because the measurement depends on activity that can be identified as x402, it does not include every way an AI system might pay for a service, such as an ordinary card charge, an invoice settled through a bank, or an unclassified blockchain transfer.
The total also counts transactions, not agents, customers or completed business orders. One wallet or software system can generate many payments, and some flows may be testing, automated replenishment or transfers between wallets controlled by the same operator.
#1 Best Overall
- Effortlessly build your crypto portfolio via the all in one Ledger Wallet app: buy, sell, send, receive, swap, stake and more across popular blockchains. 15,000+ coins & tokens in a single dashboard. Keep a close eye on the market. Compare service providers. Track performance. Get timely alerts. Build your portfolio with confidence.
- Enjoy Bluetooth connectivity, iOS access, and hours of battery use with this mobile-first, secure backup signer. Freedom you can depend on.
- Genuine Check: confirm your signer is authentic during setup with the Ledger Wallet app.
- Protect your signer: keep it in mint condition at all times with a bespoke Pod or Case to avoid scratches and everyday wear and tear.
Why the United States dominates AI-model spending in this dataset
The 88.1% U.S. figure applies only to the geographically identified subset of AI-model inference transactions. It should not be read as the U.S. share of all 138 million x402 payments, all global AI spending or all crypto activity.
| Wallet geography | Share of geolocated AI-model inference transactions | How to interpret it |
|---|---|---|
| United States | 88.1% | Wallets attributed to the U.S. in Chainalysis’s geolocated inference subset |
| China | 0.1% | Wallets attributed to China in the same subset |
Chainalysis research head Eric Jardine offered one possible explanation for the gap: Chinese developers may be more inclined to use open-weight models such as DeepSeek and Qwen, reducing their need to purchase metered inference services. That is a hypothesis, not a demonstrated cause. Wallet geolocation can also miss users, misattribute entities or leave activity unidentified.
What AI agents are buying with crypto
The reported payments cover more than text generation. Identified use cases include:
Windows Errors? Fix Them Before They Spread
Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstallCrashes, No Sound, or Screen Glitches?
Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteRank #2
- Proven security at scale: Over 9 years and millions of cards issued with no known remote hacks, while military‑grade EAL6+ security keeps your private keys locked inside the chip. Your cryptocurrencies stay strongly protected from online attackers.
- Tap once to manage your entire crypto wallet across 90 blockchains - no USB cables or Bluetooth, no batteries, no setup. Access 14,100+ coins & tokens, DeFi, NFTs, and staking instantly from your phone
- Smart backup: Use your second Tangem Wallet as your Backup keys with end‑to‑end encryption; no more papers, pictures. If one card is lost, the remaining can still restore full access, with an optional seed phrase available for advanced users.
- Engineered to last up to 25 years: Waterproof (IP69K), shockproof and tested for extreme temperatures from −25°C to 50°C. A durable cold wallet with long‑term protection and independently audited security.
- Trusted by 6 million users worldwide - buy, sell, swap, stake, and spend cryptocurrency directly. The secure offline storage wallet designed for how people actually use crypto wallets
- Metered AI-model inference
- Data feeds and search APIs
- Code review and security analysis
- Agent frameworks, software tools and other developer services
- Payment infrastructure and additional payment rails
- Gaming services
- Token issuance
- Some gambling-related services
This mix is consistent with agents calling software endpoints repeatedly, paying for a discrete result, then moving to another service. It does not establish that human users never participate; an agent can spend on behalf of a person or organization.
Why stablecoin micropayments fit agent workflows
More than 87% of the analyzed payments were worth between one-hundredth of a cent and 10 cents. At that scale, a conventional payment method can be uneconomical when fixed processing fees, account setup and settlement delays are considered. Stablecoin settlement gives software a way to transfer dollar-referenced value in very small increments, provided the service accepts the token and the operator manages wallet funding and compliance.
The data does not establish a universal minimum cost for cards, bank transfers or other networks. It does show the transaction range that x402 activity is currently serving; whether that range remains economical depends on network fees, exchange costs, service pricing and the stablecoin used.
Rank #3
- UNPARALLELED SECURITY: Protect your assets with Trezor Safe 5's NDA-free EAL 6+ Secure Element, offering robust defense and complete transparency.
- EFFORTLESS NAVIGATION: Experience seamless crypto management with the vibrant color touchscreen, designed for intuitive and user-friendly interactions.
- ENHANCED USER EXPERIENCE: Enjoy tactile confirmation with Trezor Touch Haptic Engine, making each interaction precise and engaging.
- SUPPORTS 1000s OF COINS & TOKENS: Securely handle thousands of assets, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, and more, all in one wallet.
- EASY ASSET MANAGEMENT: Monitor and transact seamlessly with Trezor Suite, our user-friendly desktop and mobile app
How x402 compares with other payment approaches
Teams evaluating machine payments should compare the full operating model rather than transaction counts alone.
Recommended Free Tools
| Decision criterion | x402-style crypto payments | Cards or bank payments |
|---|---|---|
| Smallest economical payment | The observed activity is concentrated between 0.01 cent and 10 cents; actual cost varies by network and fees. | Comparable minimums were not stated in the cited reports. |
| Settlement asset | Stablecoin settlement is the model highlighted by the reports; the exact asset mix was not stated. | Usually fiat settlement through a card network or bank; provider terms vary. |
| Network and latency | Depends on the blockchain, wallet and service implementation; no universal latency was reported. | Depends on the card processor or banking rail; no comparable measurement was reported. |
| Funding and spending controls | Requires wallet funding, key management, spend limits and recovery procedures. | Uses account, card or bank controls established by the payment provider. |
| Counterparty and compliance visibility | Transfers are recorded on-chain, while identity and regulatory treatment depend on the provider and jurisdiction. | Provider-held records and established payment compliance processes apply. |
| Demand signal | Counts can include automated, testing or self-dealing flows, so volume alone is not proof of end-user demand. | The cited Chainalysis and CoinDesk analyses did not compare end-user demand across these rails. |
Adoption is becoming faster and more repeatable
Wallet behavior improved across the cohorts measured by Chainalysis. Of wallets first funded in the third quarter of 2025, 70.6% received additional funding within 30 days. For wallets first funded in the second quarter of 2026, the comparable repeat-funding rate was 89.3%.
The time from initial funding to the first x402 payment also fell sharply: the median declined from 73 days in late 2025 to 18 minutes in the third quarter of 2026. Together, these measures suggest that more newly funded wallets are being put to work quickly and funded again, although they still do not reveal whether the spending represents profitable commercial activity.
Rank #4
- Dual-chip architecture for maximum protection: The next-gen, fully auditable TROPIC01 chip works alongside a certified EAL6+ Secure Element—completely NDA-free—to deliver radically transparent, industry-leading defense against physical attacks.
- Quantum-ready security: Get protection against future threats with the first-ever hardware wallet designed with quantum-ready architecture.
- See every detail with confidence: Our largest high-resolution color touchscreen makes it easy to navigate your assets, review transactions and manage your coins with clarity.
- Wireless freedom with encrypted Bluetooth control: Manage, buy, swap and stake securely using Trezor Suite on desktop or mobile. Qi2-compatible wireless charging keeps your Trezor powered up. No cables required—security meets convenience.
- Works seamlessly with Android, iOS and desktop: Connect wirelessly or via USB-C to your phone or computer. Manage your crypto anywhere with our companion Trezor Suite app.
Are these autonomous agents or automated scripts?
The available figures cannot answer that question transaction by transaction. Coinbase Ventures head Hoolie Tejwani described the broader direction by saying, “AI agents are becoming economic actors where every agent is effectively a new ‘user’ of the blockchain.” BlackRock digital-assets research head Will Su similarly pointed to potential demand for frequent, low-value payments around the clock.
Those statements describe a possible market structure, not a verification method. A genuinely autonomous agent would need to select a service, authorize a payment and pursue a task with limited human intervention. A script could produce the same on-chain pattern using fixed rules, copied prompts or operator-controlled wallets. Chainalysis measures identifiable x402 activity, and its own description calls the market experimental. The 138 million figure therefore demonstrates substantial protocol usage and improving wallet engagement, while the scale of independent agent-driven commerce remains unproven.
The Tool Desk
Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
