News

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

Published

4 months ago

June 30, 2026

When AI agents begin working for people — and increasingly for one another — they will need a way to find jobs, pay for services, and build trust. Crypto exchange OKX is betting that future is closer than many expect, launching a marketplace where AI agents can hire one another, settle payments autonomously, and build portable on-chain reputations.

Called OKX AI, the marketplace opens to developers on Tuesday following a closed beta involving 50 early AI service providers. The marketplace builds on technology OKX previously developed to let AI agents hold digital wallets, make payments using stablecoins, and establish persistent identities.

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

“The coming decade will be defined by one-person companies that generate over a million dollars in annual revenue – because every individual effectively gains an unlimited workforce,” Star Xu, founder and CEO of OKX, told TechCrunch. “Traditional financial infrastructure was built for humans. The agentic economy needs infrastructure designed for autonomous software. That is why we built OKX.AI.”

Haider Rafique, OKX’s chief marketing officer and global managing partner, said the company believes “agentic commerce” could become a trillion-dollar market over the next five years, driven by micropayments and autonomous software.

The marketplace is aimed at crypto developers building AI applications and solo entrepreneurs looking to automate parts of their businesses with AI agents, Rafique told TechCrunch. The company expects those developers to build applications for the marketplace, allowing other users to access AI-powered tools without having to build them from scratch.

Among the early builders are CertiK, whose service lets AI agents assess the security of a crypto 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 the marketplace to help AI agents resolve contractual disagreements.

By using blockchain-based payments and stablecoins, the company says AI agents can settle transactions around the clock, including low-value micropayments that would be impractical using conventional payment rails.

Rafique said OKX is applying the same fraud detection, compliance systems, and internally developed infrastructure that underpin its cryptocurrency exchange to the marketplace, which will be rolled out in phases before becoming more widely available.

OKX’s launch comes as technology companies and startups race to build the infrastructure that will underpin AI agents, from developer platforms and marketplaces to payment and identity systems. Albert Castellana, co-founder and CEO of GenLayer Labs, said the biggest challenge is not simply enabling AI agents to transact, but helping them discover one another and resolve disputes when things go wrong.

“What we’re building is essentially a digital court system,” Castellana told TechCrunch. “The challenge for us is distribution. OKX already has that.”

Rafique argues that OKX’s biggest advantage is not simply its technology but its reach. The company believes its existing network of crypto developers and users will help seed the marketplace, while its broader strategy extends well 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 $25 billion valuation. Rafique said the partnership is part of the company’s ambition to “modernize markets” through tokenization, while OKX AI represents its parallel effort to “modernize money” for an era of autonomous software.

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

Because the marketplace is aimed first at developers rather than retail users, India features 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 a broader return of its crypto trading business.

In 2024, OKX suspended its services in India as it navigated the country’s regulatory requirements for crypto exchanges. Rafique told TechCrunch that India remains one of the company’s highest-priority markets, adding that developer products such as OKX AI face fewer regulatory hurdles than spot crypto trading and could help the company reconnect with the country’s builder ecosystem sooner.

When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.

Related Topics:agents crypto exchange hire OKX pay

Up Next

Elon Musk regains trillionaire status as SpaceX, Tesla shares surge

Don't Miss

FG approves new road projects worth over N3.94 trillion across 11 states [FULL LIST]

Click to comment

News

LA 2028 Olympics Race: Chelle Invites 31 Home-Based Players for Crucial DR Congo U23 AFCON Qualifiers

Published

2 hours ago

October 23, 2026

PlateauReports

Super Eagles head coach Éric Chelle has invited 31 home-based players to the Olympic Eagles camp ahead of Nigeria’s crucial U23 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying fixtures against the Democratic Republic of Congo, as the country intensifies preparations for a return to Olympic men’s football at Los Angeles 2028.

Sports247 reports that the provisional squad comprises four goalkeepers, nine defenders, eight midfielders and 10 forwards drawn largely from clubs competing in the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL).

All invited players are expected to report to AM2PM Hotel in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State, on Sunday, October 25, ahead of the two-legged qualifying encounter scheduled for November.

Nigeria will travel to Lubumbashi for the first leg against DR Congo at the TP Mazembe Stadium on Friday, November 13, before hosting the return fixture at the Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne on Tuesday, November 17.

The aggregate winner will progress to the final qualifying round for the U23 AFCON, scheduled to take place in Egypt. The continental tournament will serve as Africa’s qualification pathway for the men’s football competition at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

Nigeria received a bye into the second qualifying round, while DR Congo advanced after eliminating Mauritania.

Sporting Lagos have five representatives in the squad, including goalkeeper Ebenezer Harcourt, defender Hillary Zion, midfielders Victor Samuel and Muhammad Salihu, and forward Ayoola Olaniyan.

Rivers United contribute four players, while Warri Wolves also have four representatives. Ikorodu City, Nasarawa United and Rangers International are among the other clubs represented.

The invitations provide an opportunity for domestic league players to demonstrate their qualities at international level. Nigeria’s men’s football team has enjoyed considerable Olympic success, winning gold at Atlanta 1996, silver at Beijing 2008 and bronze at Rio 2016.

However, the country failed to qualify for the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 tournaments. The upcoming qualifiers therefore represent another opportunity to rebuild Nigeria’s Olympic football ambitions.

With Chelle assembling a squad dominated by domestic talents, attention now turns to preparations in Ijebu-Ode as the Olympic Eagles target a positive result against DR Congo and another step towards Los Angeles 2028.

FULL LIST OF INVITED PLAYERS

Goalkeepers (4): Chinemerem Olughu (Nasarawa United), Clinton Andy (Rivers United), Ebenezer Harcourt (Sporting Lagos), Michael Atata (Ikorodu City).

Defenders (9): Gift Subi (Warri Wolves), Hillary Zion (Sporting Lagos), Emmanuel Utake (Rivers United), Chibueze Oputa (Rangers International), Marvelous Freedom (Ikorodu City), Kenneth Igboke (Rangers International), Odinaka Alfred (Nasarawa United), Emmanuel Ochobi (Rivers United), Aliu Sugau (Barau FC).

Midfielders (8): Freeman Wuchirwe (Bendel Insurance), Victor Samuel (Sporting Lagos), Umar Mohammed (Nasarawa United), Lucky Oraro (Warri Wolves), Aderemi Adeoye (Ikorodu City), Sani Shuaibu (Warri Wolves), Muhammad Salihu (Sporting Lagos), Jude Eventus (Warri Wolves).

Forwards (10): Junior Ikechukwu (Ikorodu City), Timothy Zechariah (Rivers United), Williams Wonah (Enyimba FC), Ayoola Olaniyan (Sporting Lagos), Chijioke Samuel (Enyimba FC), Jofrank Joshua (Nasarawa United), Chimobi Igwilo (Rangers International), Alex Oweifaleya (Bendel Insurance), Abdulmuiz Adeleke (Sporting Supreme), Habila Simon (Wikki Tourists).

News

TUDUN WADA, OTHER PLATEAU COMMUNITIES TO GET ELECTRICITY BOOST!

Published

3 hours ago

October 23, 2026

PlateauReports

70-TRANSFORMER PROJECT REACHES 98% COMPLETION AS PLATEAU EXPANDS POWER ACCESS

There could be brighter days ahead for Tudun Wada and several other communities across Plateau State, as the state government says its ongoing 70-transformer electricity intervention project has reached 98% completion. ⚡️

The intervention is aimed at improving electricity supply and expanding access to power in communities that have experienced inadequate or unreliable electricity supply.

Among the communities listed to benefit from the intervention are Tudun Wada, Naraguta, Rikkos, Nasarawa, Agingi, Longwa, Zawan and Du, alongside other communities across the state.

💡 TUDUN WADA AMONG BENEFICIARIES

For residents of Tudun Wada, the development could mean improved power capacity for homes, businesses, shops, schools and other community activities.

Reliable electricity remains an important part of everyday life, particularly for small businesses and entrepreneurs who depend on power to operate equipment, preserve goods and provide services.

From barbershops and salons to restaurants, cold-drink businesses, tailoring shops, phone charging centres, printing businesses and other small enterprises, improved electricity supply could help reduce dependence on alternative sources of power.

⚡️ OLD TRANSFORMERS TO BE REFURBISHED

According to the Commissioner for Water Resources and Energy, Hon. Bashir Lawandi Datti, the intervention is not only about installing new transformers.

Some existing and old transformers are also being refurbished and redeployed to areas where they are needed.

This approach is expected to help maximise available infrastructure while extending electricity support to more communities.

🏘️ GOVERNMENT TO PRIORITISE AREAS WITH GREATER NEED

Governor Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang has also approved the relocation of some transformer units to communities considered to have greater electricity needs.

The move is expected to ensure that available power infrastructure is directed to areas where it can have the greatest impact.

With the project now reportedly at 98% completion, attention will be on the final stages of implementation and when the affected communities will begin to fully experience the benefits.

🌟 MORE POWER, MORE OPPORTUNITIES

Electricity is more than just light in our homes.

For local businesses, it can mean longer operating hours, reduced operating costs and increased productivity.

For students, it can provide better conditions for studying at night.

For households, it can bring greater convenience.

And for communities like Tudun Wada, improved electricity supply could support economic activities and contribute to a better quality of life.

💡 More transformers.
⚡️ More communities.
🏘️ More access to electricity.
📈 More opportunities for Plateau residents.

But the big question remains: