Coinbase is reportedly competing for a partnership with Cloudflare to create a stablecoin designed for AI transactions. The deal, first reported by The Information, would combine Coinbase's crypto infrastructure with Cloudflare's web traffic management.
Cloudflare, which handles roughly 20% of global web traffic, provides security and performance services to millions of websites. Pairing its scale with a crypto-native payments layer makes sense for AI agents, which require fast, low-cost transactions.
Stablecoins, pegged to fiat currencies, offer programmable, near-instant payments ideal for AI systems making thousands of microtransactions per second. Coinbase's Base network and USDC stablecoin already handle billions in monthly volume, positioning the company as a strong contender.
The deal could reshape payment infrastructure for AI applications, giving Coinbase a foothold beyond trading fees into more stable revenue streams. However, the success of the AI agent economy remains speculative, with infrastructure being built ahead of widespread adoption.