Erik Reppel says AI agents could disrupt the internet’s ad-based economy
Updated
Updated · CoinDesk · May 6
Erik Reppel says AI agents could disrupt the internet’s ad-based economy
10 articles · Updated · CoinDesk · May 6
Speaking at Consensus Miami 2026, the Coinbase Developer Platform engineering head said agents ignore ads and could instead pay small sums for content, APIs and digital services.
He proposed Coinbase-backed x402, built on HTTP 402 Payment Required, as infrastructure for stablecoin-powered automatic micropayments between software systems in an emerging “agentic economy”.
Reppel said the market for such internet-native payments could reach $3 trillion to $5 trillion within four years, reflecting a wider crypto push to make blockchain payments core AI-commerce infrastructure.
Will crypto micropayments kill the internet's ad model, or just create new ads designed for machines?
As AI agents control trillions, who will build and govern the financial 'brain' that directs their spending?
With the 'SaaSpocalypse' looming, can today's software giants adapt before their business models are made obsolete?