Hedera launched Agent Accounts, allowing AI agents to autonomously make payments within on-chain rules
Hedera, a public blockchain, has launched Agent Accounts, described as programmable, non-custodial spending accounts that allow AI agents to autonomously transact within rules set by users and enforced on-chain. This includes payment APIs, data retrieval, invoice settlement, and purchasing on behalf of users, with private keys remaining in the user's wallet.Agent Accounts are funded from the user's existing Hedera wallet and are created separately for designated agents, rather than handing over the entire account to the agent. Users connect their wallets through a web application, designate agents, and configure total spending limits, daily caps, single transaction limits, and whitelists for merchants and payees. The rules are written into Hedera smart contracts and are not stored on company servers, making them unmodifiable by anyone other than the user. Funds do not leave the user's account before a purchase occurs; agents do not hold balances but send spending requests to the smart contract, which validates and executes them. Users can pause or revoke agent spending with a single click from their wallet.This feature is supported by Agentic Payment Services, including MCP server, REST API, and relayer. Hedera states that any agent capable of using MCP or REST can connect, with payments available in HBAR, USDC, or other Hedera tokens, and compatible with x402. Each strategy, transaction, and agent action is recorded on the Hedera Consensus Service. The timeline aims for a limited partner testnet launch in Q4 2026, a public testnet in Q1 2027, and a target mainnet launch in Q2 2027, depending on security audits and legal agreements.