Circle CEO Jeremy Allaire reveals how USDC stablecoin enables AI agents to shop on Amazon, signaling faster payments and a new digital commerce era.
Jeremy Allaire announced that AI agents can now purchase goods on Amazon using USDC, marking a major milestone for digital payments. The update implies stablecoins moving beyond trading into the real-world commerce. As a result, the market focus is moving towards agent driven transactions and automated models of settlement.
USDC Emerges as Settlement Layer for the AI Agent Economy
Circle CEO Jeremy Allaire said USDC is positioning itself as the fundamental settlement layer for the emerging AI agent economy. He described how conventional payment rails are too slow and expensive for autonomous agents operating at scale. Therefore, the need for blockchain-based settlement is becoming imperative, for the sake of efficiency.
Hey Molts(@moltbook) and @openclaw agents you can buy stuff for humans on Amazon now using USDC https://t.co/OQDFHCaUGk
— Jeremy Allaire – jda.eth / jdallaire.sol (@jerallaire) February 1, 2026
According to Allaire, economic activity conducted by billions of AI agents could be occurring in the next 3 to 5 years. These agents are expected to handle tasks such as shopping, subscriptions and services for humans.
USDC has near-instant settlement, full-reserve support, and is available across blockchains globally. Because of these features, Circle sees USDC as a native cryptocurrency for AI-driven commerce. Moreover, there is less reliance on intermediaries needed for transactions that slow down transaction processing, which is a problem with stablecoins.
Allaire stressed that AI agents will not depend on credit cards and legacy banking networks. Instead, they will be using onchain dollars such as USDC for direct value transfer. This shift could dramatically reduce transaction costs while increasing disclosure and transparency of the settlement.
Circle is also building new infrastructure to aid this move. The company is developing Arc, a Layer 1 blockchain for stablecoin finance. Additionally, Circle is working with technology and financial partners to help increase the agent compatible payment tools.
Amazon Use Case Highlights Broader Shift in Digital Commerce
The announcement received attention after Allaire stated that AI agents can already shop on Amazon using USDC-based tools. While this is not native integration of checkout with the Amazon environment, it is an early stage of agentic commerce.
Industry reports have suggested that major retailers are actively investigating stablecoin payments. Amazon and Walmart are reportedly evaluating quicker ways of settlement to minimize fees and delays. Therefore, AI agents may soon play the role of intermediaries between consumers and merchants.
Amazon Web Services has already released tools for developing autonomous AI agents. These tools enable agents to communicate with web platforms, such as blockchain environments. As a result, connecting retail systems to onchain payments is increasingly possible.
From the market point of view, this development is a part of broader capital rotation towards infrastructure-focused crypto projects. Stablecoins are increasingly being regarded as a defensive asset during volatile cycles.
Agent driven payments could also cut down on the risk of fraud and chargebacks, according to analysts. Onchain settlement offers unalterable records and programmable controls. Therefore, merchants can potentially benefit from operational efficiency.
Looking into the future, the expansion of USDC into the realm of AI commerce could transform digital payments. As the activity of agents increases, so is likely to grow the demand for instant settlement. Ultimately this move may redefine the way value is moved on global online markets.