MetaMask launches Agent Wallet for AI agents to trade DeFi with built-in security controls

MetaMask Launches AI Agent Wallet With Built-In Security Controls

About 200 users have been admitted to an Early Access Program, with broader availability planned this summer. MetaMask has launched Agent Wallet, a self-custodial wallet designed to let AI agents autonomously trade and interact with decentralized finance protocols while operating within user-defined security controls. (Disclaimer: MetaMask is a product of Consensys, one of numerous investors in an editorially independent Decrypt.) The launch comes as crypto developers increasingly move to develop AI agents capable of managing portfolios, executing trades, and interacting directly with decentralized applications. The product is currently available to roughly 200 users through an Early Access Program, with a wider rollout expected later this summer. "It's genuinely day one for agents, but the infrastructure decision can't wait because agents are already touching real money, and most of them are doing it the wrong way," MetaMask Senior Director of Product Zhen Yu Tong told Decrypt. According to Tong, many projects currently on the market are developed giving AI agents direct access to private keys, creating the risk that agents could execute unintended transactions or lose funds through errors rather than hacks. "If the first generation of trading agents normalizes giving away your keys, we'll be rebuilding the custodial mistakes crypto spent a decade escaping," he said. According to MetaMask, Agent Wallet routes transactions through the company's existing security infrastructure, including transaction simulation, scam and malicious-contract detection, Blockaid-powered threat scanning, Clear Signing, and Servo MEV protection. Rather than assuming AI models can be fully protected from manipulation, MetaMask said it developed the wallet around controls designed to limit the consequences when agents make mistakes. "The honest premise first: You cannot guarantee an LLM won't be tricked," Tong said. "Prompt injection is an open research problem, not a bug you patch once." Prompt injection attacks happen when malicious instructions are used to compromise an AI system, causing it to do something it wasn't supposed to do. In crypto, that could mean being fooled into approving transactions, moving funds, or interacting with a malicious smart contract. To prevent this, in the Agent Wallet's default Guard Mode, users define spending limits, approved protocols, and other operating parameters. Transactions that exceed those rules or are flagged as suspicious require two-factor authentication before they can proceed. A less restrictive Beast Mode allows agents to operate more independently, while still requiring approval for transactions identified as malicious. "Beast Mode is for users who want genuinely hands-off operation -- the agent acts without a pop-up on every transaction," Tong said. "What Beast Mode does not do is switch off the safety net. If our threat detection flags a transaction as malicious, 2FA still fires no matter what mode you're in. That's non-negotiable." As Tong explained, operating without approval doesn't mean without limits. Beast Mode still operates within user-defined guardrails, including spending limits, approved assets and protocols, and time-based restrictions, allowing agents to rebalance portfolios, interact with verified contracts, and settle payments autonomously without requiring approval for every transaction. "Think of it like banks or exchanges, where you need to add recipients to an allowlist before you can send to them. That's Guard Mode -- the user pre-approves who the agent can interact with, and anything outside that list triggers 2FA," he said. "Beast Mode flips it: addresses are scanned in real time, and 2FA fires if any are flagged as bad -- but the user doesn't have to add anyone to an allowlist upfront." The wallet supports Ethereum Virtual Machine-compatible chains, Hyperliquid, and agent frameworks, including OpenAI Codex, Anthropic's Claude Code, Cursor, OpenClaw, and Hermes Agent. It uses Cubist's trusted execution environment technology to keep private keys inside a hardware-isolated enclave during signing, which Tong said prevents MetaMask and Consensys from accessing users' key material. MetaMask's Agent Wallet launch follows other crypto companies rolling out infrastructure for AI agents. In February, Coinbase introduced Agentic Wallets, a self-custodial wallet designed to let AI agents send payments and manage crypto assets while keeping private keys isolated inside trusted execution environments. In March, MoonPay expanded its own agent strategy by integrating Ledger hardware wallets for human-approved AI transactions. The crypto payments firm later launched the Open Wallet Standard, an open-source framework backed by contributors including PayPal, the Ethereum Foundation, Solana Foundation, Ripple, and Base that aims to standardize how AI agents manage wallets and funds across blockchains. (Disclaimer: MoonPay Ventures is an investor in Decrypt's parent company, Dastan.) Last week, MoonPay followed with a desktop app for Claude Code and OpenAI Codex that lets users connect AI assistants to wallets, token swaps, prediction markets, and other blockchain tools through a graphical interface.

MetaMask Unveils Self-Custodial Wallet for AI-powered DeFi Trading

The new wallet allows AI agents to execute transactions across DeFi protocols while operating within user-defined spending limits and security controls. MetaMask launched a self-custodial cryptocurrency wallet that allows artificial intelligence agents to transact across decentralized finance protocols within user-defined spending and security controls. Users can connect the Agent Wallet to AI agent frameworks and authorize software agents to operate within protocol allowlists. The wallet is compatible with frameworks including OpenAI Codex, Claude Code, OpenClaw and Hermes, according to MetaMask. MetaMask said transactions initiated by AI agents are screened through transaction simulation, threat detection and MEV protection systems before execution. Transactions flagged as malicious or outside a user's predefined rules require manual approval. Source: MetaMask The wallet supports token swaps, perpetual futures trading, prediction markets and liquidity provision across Ethereum-compatible networks and Hyperliquid. MetaMask said transactions deemed safe by its security systems are covered by up to $10,000 in loss protection. The product is currently available to a limited group of users through an early access program, with broader availability planned later this summer. Industry interest grows in AI-powered transactions Cryptocurrency companies are rushing to build infrastructure that allows AI agents to manage digital assets and make payments autonomously. In February, Coinbase introduced Agentic Wallets, which allow AI agents to spend, earn and trade cryptos while interacting autonomously with onchain applications. In May, Fireblocks launched Agentic Payments Suite, a platform designed to help AI agents send and receive stablecoin payments through Coinbase's x402 protocol. Cumulative agentic transfer volumes on Base. Source: Chainalysis AI-driven payment activity appears to be gaining traction quickly. A June 3 Chainalysis report found that wallets using Coinbase's x402 agent payment protocol generated more than 100 million transactions on Base within roughly nine months of launch. The push extends beyond the crypto industry. In April, Visa launched Intelligent Commerce Connect, a platform that allows artificial intelligence agents to browse, select and pay for goods on behalf of consumers. The growing interest has prompted bullish forecasts from crypto executives. Circle CEO Jeremy Allaire said billions of AI agents could be transacting with cryptocurrencies and stablecoins within three to five years. Former Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao said that crypto will become the native payment rail for autonomous software.

Crypto Market Update: MetaMask Introduces Agent Wallet for Safe AI-Powered DeFi Trading

The launch marks MetaMask's latest move into AI-powered crypto infrastructure as autonomous agents gain traction across the digital asset industry. According to the company, Agent Wallet combines automated execution with built-in security protections designed to address concerns around agent-controlled transactions. MetaMask said Agent Wallet lets users connect popular AI frameworks and authorize them to perform on-chain actions within predefined limits. The wallet supports activities such as token swaps, perpetual futures trading, prediction markets, liquidity provision, and other DeFi operations. The product operates across several EVM-compatible networks. In addition, it supports , expanding functionality beyond traditional Ethereum-based ecosystems. Users can select between two operating modes. Guard Mode is activated by default and limits agents to approved protocols and daily spending caps. If an agent attempts an action outside those parameters, the system requires human approval before execution. Meanwhile, Beast Mode offers greater flexibility for advanced users. Even so, potentially harmful transactions still require authorization before completion. MetaMask stated that Agent Wallet works with several widely used AI development frameworks. These include OpenAI Codex, Claude Code, Cursor, OpenClaw, and Nous Research Hermes.