Cryptocurrency exchange OKX wants AI agents to hire and pay each other

As AI agents begin working for people — and increasingly for each other — they will need a way to find jobs, pay for services, and build trust. Crypto exchange OK x It is betting that the future is closer than many expect, launching a marketplace where AI agents can hire each other, settle payments autonomously, and build a portable, on-chain reputation.

Called OKX AI, the marketplace is open to developers on Tuesday after a closed beta involving 50 early AI service providers. The market relies on technology previously developed by OKX to allow AI agents to maintain digital wallets, make payments using stablecoins, and create persistent identities.

This launch marks OKX’s latest step beyond cryptocurrency trading as it seeks to become a broader fintech company. With more than 150 million users globally, OKX is betting that the next generation of customers will not just be people or organizations, but AI agents capable of transacting autonomously, giving rise to the emerging “agent economy.”

“The next decade will be defined by one-person businesses generating more than $1 million in annual revenue — because each person gains a virtually unlimited workforce,” Star Shaw, founder and CEO of OKX, told TechCrunch. “Traditional financial infrastructure was built for humans. The agent economy needs infrastructure built for autonomous software. That’s why we built OKX.AI.”

Haider Rafiq, chief marketing officer and global managing partner at OKX, said the company believes “proxy commerce” could become a $1 trillion market over the next five years, driven by micropayments and autonomous software.

Rafiq told TechCrunch that the market targets cryptocurrency developers building AI applications and solo entrepreneurs looking to automate parts of their business using AI agents. The company expects these developers to build apps for the market, allowing other users to access AI-powered tools without having to build them from scratch.

Among the first companies to create this application are CertiK, whose service allows artificial intelligence agents to assess the security of a cryptocurrency wallet or token before executing a transaction, and CoinAnk, which provides live market data on a pay-per-query basis. GenLayer, another launch partner, is bringing dispute resolution infrastructure to market to help AI agents resolve contractual disputes.

Using blockchain-based payments and stablecoins, the company says AI agents can settle transactions around the clock, including small, low-value payments that would be impractical using traditional payment paths.

Rafiq said OKX is implementing the same internally developed fraud detection and compliance systems and infrastructure that support cryptocurrency exchanges in the market, which will be rolled out in phases before becoming more widely available.

The launch of OKX comes as technology companies and startups race to build the infrastructure that will support AI agents, from developer platforms and marketplaces to payment and identity systems. The biggest challenge is not just enabling AI agents to transact, but helping them detect each other and resolve conflicts when things go wrong, said Albert Castellana, co-founder and CEO of GenLayer Labs.

“What we are building is essentially a digital court system,” Castellana told TechCrunch. “Our challenge is distribution. OKX already has that.”

Rafiq says OKX’s biggest advantage is not just the technology it offers, but its reach. The company believes its existing network of cryptocurrency developers and users will help seed the market, while its broader strategy extends beyond digital assets.

In March, Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), the parent company of the New York Stock Exchange, invested about $200 million in OKX at a low price. $25 billion valuation. Rafiq said the partnership is part of the company’s ambition to “modernize markets” through coding, while OKX AI represents its parallel effort to “modernize money” for the age of independent software.

Developers are coming to market through Onchain OS, OKX’s toolkit for connecting AI agents to blockchain-based services. No OKX account is required to get started, and the platform is compatible with AI coding tools including Claude Code, Codex, Hermes and OpenClaw, the company said.

Since the market is primarily targeting developers and not retail users, India figures prominently in OKX’s plans. The country has emerged as one of the world’s largest hubs for AI and blockchain developers, a community the company hopes to reach even before the broader return of its cryptocurrency trading business.

In 2024, OKX It has suspended its services in India While navigating the country’s regulatory requirements for cryptocurrency exchanges. India remains one of the company’s highest priority markets, Rafiq told TechCrunch, adding that developer products like OKX AI face fewer regulatory hurdles than spot cryptocurrency trading and could help the company reconnect with the country’s building ecosystem soon.