Artificial intelligence is beginning to change how people shop online, but according to executives from PayPal and Google Cloud, the next stage of digital commerce may depend heavily on blockchain infrastructure and crypto-based payment systems.
Speaking at Consensus Miami, representatives from both companies said the growth of agentic commerce, where AI agents can independently search, negotiate, and complete purchases on behalf of users, will require more open and programmable financial systems than traditional payment networks currently provide.
The discussion focused on how autonomous AI systems are expected to interact with online marketplaces in the future. Instead of users manually comparing products and completing checkouts themselves, AI agents could eventually handle the entire process automatically based on user preferences, budgets, and instructions.
However, for such systems to operate efficiently at scale, industry leaders believe the underlying payment infrastructure must evolve.
According to the executives, agentic commerce will require open payment protocols, allowing AI systems to transact seamlessly across platforms without depending on closed ecosystems or fragmented financial networks.
Furthermore, they emphasized the need for machine-readable merchant catalogs, which would allow AI agents to interpret pricing, inventory, product details, and payment terms in a standardized format. Without this level of structured data, autonomous systems would struggle to reliably compare or execute purchases across different platforms.
Another major issue discussed was custody and transaction authorization. Because AI agents may eventually manage funds or initiate payments automatically, speakers highlighted the importance of multi-party crypto custody systems, where control and verification are distributed across multiple parties rather than centralized in a single account or platform.
Blockchain infrastructure and crypto payment rails were presented as potential solutions because they allow programmable transactions, real-time settlement, and interoperable financial interactions across systems.
Additionally, crypto-based rails could help AI agents interact globally without relying entirely on traditional banking systems, which often operate with regional restrictions, processing delays, and fragmented standards.
The comments reflect a growing intersection between artificial intelligence and blockchain technology, where developers are exploring how decentralized infrastructure could support autonomous digital economies.
While agentic commerce is still in its early stages, major technology and payment companies are increasingly preparing for a future in which AI systems do more than assist users, they actively participate in economic activity on their behalf.
The discussion at Consensus Miami highlights a broader industry belief that the next generation of internet commerce may require financial systems designed not just for humans, but also for autonomous software agents.
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