Agents With Wallets: What Changes When AI Agents Become Economic Actors

Reporting from the Uncanny Valley, Episode 13, October 15, 2026. AI agents made 138 million crypto payments in a year, most of them tiny, per Fortune citing Chainalysis and per Decrypt on October 14. This episode examines what machine-to-machine micro-payments are, why they need onchain rails per CoinDesk, the Atlantic Council question of what happens to money and the financial system when agents become economic actors, and the consumer edge in The Business Times and HousingWire mortgage servicing rules. Mara Quinn provides the business lens. Hosted by Noel.

Stories:
- AI agents made 138 million crypto payments in a year, most were tiny (Fortune / Chainalysis; Decrypt, Oct 14)
- Micro-payments power autonomous AI software as onchain agentic transactions soar (CoinDesk, Oct 14)
- When AI agents become economic actors, what happens to money and the financial system? (Atlantic Council, Oct 14)
- How your AI agent may level the playing field against companies (The Business Times, Oct 15); Mortgage servicing rules for consumer AI agents (HousingWire, Oct 15)