The end of ads: Coinbase engineer says AI agents could kill the internet’s favorite business model
Erik Reppel, who created the x402 protocol, said that the web economy depends heavily on advertising revenue generated from humans. AI agents bypass that system entirely....
Key takeaways
- 1AI agents ignore online ads entirely, potentially disrupting the internet's ad-dependent business model worth trillions annually.
- 2Coinbase's x402 protocol enables crypto micropayments for AI agents accessing content and APIs, creating a new monetization system.
- 3The agentic economy could grow to $3-5 trillion within four years, requiring blockchain-based payment infrastructure.
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Why it matters
This shift challenges traditional web economics and positions stablecoins as essential infrastructure for AI commerce. Indian investors should track how crypto payments become foundational to digital services, especially as AI adoption accelerates globally.
Explore how AI Agents is shaping crypto markets — aggregated stories, leading coins, and weekly momentum.
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