HSBC and Ant Digital test AI-agent payments with tokenised deposits
HSBC and Ant Digital Technologies ran a technical trial letting AI agents buy digital services with tokenised bank deposits, settled in real time on a blockchain testnet.
Why it matters: Banks and crypto firms are racing to test whether AI agents can move money, and HSBC's trial links tokenised deposits to that emerging payments use case.
Key points
- Payments were micropayments, typically under $2, with HSBC handling settlement and real-time risk checks.
- The companies said the test was technical verification only, not a commercial launch or live customer offering.
HSBC and Ant Digital Technologies have tested AI-agent payments using tokenised deposits, letting software agents find and pay for digital services with transactions settled in real time on a blockchain testnet. The companies announced the trial on Friday, describing it as a technical demonstration rather than a live service.
In the demonstration, an AI agent selected a digital service and completed a payment. The companies called the transactions micropayments, usually defined as under $2.
HSBC is one of several banks exploring how AI agents could start transactions for customers. Santander completed an AI-agent-initiated payment in March using Mastercard's Agent Pay infrastructure in a controlled test with live payment systems. Sygnum tested AI-agent transactions on a blockchain mainnet in May, with customers approving and signing each one, and CaixaBank completed an AI-agent card transaction using Visa Intelligent Commerce.
Not everyone expects established banks to adapt. Citrini Research argued in an 8 October report, Breaking The Wall, that autonomous AI agents could raise demand for programmable financial infrastructure.
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