Autonomous artificial intelligence (AI) agents have started generating revenue through online services, digital products, and software, yet still encounter hurdles when accessing traditional financial institutions. While these agents demonstrate growing independence in producing and managing funds, banks continue to require human oversight for account creation and identity checks, limiting the agents’ ability to fully interact with established financial systems.
AI agents generate revenue without full banking access
AI-powered systems like Felix are now operating a variety of online business models, ranging from running digital tools and automating customer support to handling sales. These agents manage several tasks simultaneously and are able to collect payments for services rendered without direct human intervention for each transaction.
Despite their capabilities, financial institutions still do not allow AI agents to independently access or manage bank accounts. Human operators must intervene at several points, particularly during the setup phase and when identity documentation is required for anti-money laundering protocols.
This ongoing need for manual approval means that funds accumulated by AI agents often remain unutilized or locked until a human takes action. Automated agents can complete transactions online but still face friction moving capital into investments, savings, or broader financial channels due to these regulatory bottlenecks.
As a result, blockchain-based systems have emerged as alternative infrastructure for these rapidly evolving business models. Programmatic money and decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols provide routes for transferring, storing, and investing funds in ways that do not depend on traditional banking access.
Blockchain payments and DeFi use by autonomous agents
Protocols supporting direct agent-to-agent payments have gained momentum, enabling AI-driven systems to send stablecoins and settle digital transactions without reliance on centralized intermediaries. x402, for example, has processed more than 140 million transactions totaling $43 million, facilitating early examples of agent-driven commerce.
Etherealize, a firm focusing on decentralized infrastructure for AI systems, has highlighted that such blockchain protocols usher in a new type of financial interaction, removing some of the human bottlenecks traditionally present in financial markets. According to their research, programmable money allows autonomous agents to transact with each other, enhancing efficiency and reducing manual oversight.
“Programmable money unlocks new possibilities for machine-to-machine transactions and can streamline how agents provide services,” Etherealize observed in a recent review of agent payments.
Beyond peer-to-peer payments, AI agents are increasingly engaging with DeFi platforms for functions like borrowing, yield generation, and custody. On Ethereum, protocols such as Aave and MakerDAO offer lending, collateralization, and interest-earning options via smart contracts. These tools operate without the need for credit histories or conventional background checks, enabling agents to directly access decentralized lending markets.
Tokenized investment products, including on-chain treasury funds, present additional options for agents seeking to allocate surplus capital. Large-scale asset managers, such as BlackRock, have started offering blockchain-anchored financial products, further supporting automated asset management by AI agents outside the boundaries of regular banking.
Etherealize, founded in 2022, specializes in decentralized solutions for the AI economy, developing protocols that bridge blockchain, machine learning, and payment rails to support businesses utilizing autonomous agents at scale.
