Crypto wallet startup Oobit has introduced a Visa-backed virtual card that allows AI agents to execute payments in USDT without human input.
Summary
- Oobit has launched Visa-backed Agent Cards that allow AI agents to make payments in USDT directly from Tether’s treasury without fiat conversion.
- The cards are limited to approved businesses, with spend controls and merchant restrictions set at the transaction level after compliance checks.
- Support for AI frameworks such as OpenAI, Claude, AutoGen, and LangChain enables agents to automate tasks like subscriptions, ad spend, and cloud services.
According to Oobit, the new “Agent Cards” draw funds directly from Tether’s treasury, removing the need for fiat conversion or on-ramps when AI systems initiate transactions.
The company said these cards enable automated spending across online services, including subscription renewals, advertising budgets, and cloud infrastructure provisioning triggered by pre-set workflows.
Oobit stated that each card is assigned to a single AI agent, ensuring a traceable identity and a clear audit trail across transactions.
Spend limits and merchant-level restrictions are enforced within the transaction layer, which the company said keeps activity confined to approved parameters after businesses complete know-your-business compliance checks.
Integration with major AI frameworks allows the system to operate across commonly used tools. Oobit confirmed compatibility with solutions from OpenAI, Claude, AutoGen, and LangChain, enabling businesses to deploy agents that can act on operational instructions without manual oversight.
Oobit advisor Alex Obchakevich said in a post on X that these agents could also extend beyond payments to trading crypto and equities.
Oobit said the Agent Cards have been issued to a founding group of businesses, with onboarding set to expand gradually through June 30. Access remains restricted as the company evaluates usage and compliance requirements before a wider release.
Industry leaders have increasingly pointed to AI agents as future participants in digital payments.
“There will be more AI agents transacting online than humans very soon,” said Brian Armstrong, while Jeremy Allaire added in January that “literally billions of AI agents” could be transacting on-chain within three to five years.
Oobit said the next trillion internet users would be AI-driven systems.
Earlier developments show how the company has been linking crypto wallets to traditional payment networks.
In January, Oobit added support for Phantom, connecting Solana-based assets to Visa’s infrastructure and allowing users to spend digital assets across more than 80 million merchants. The integration used its DePay system to settle payments directly from non-custodial wallets, converting crypto into fiat at checkout while merchants received local currency.
