Coinbase lets AI agents trade crypto for users, but a new study says most bots will raise their own limits

Coinbase for Agents connects ChatGPT, Claude, Grok and Perplexity to live trading accounts, while Cornell Tech and Yale researchers warn about spending controls Coinbase now lets AI agents trade crypto on behalf of its customers. Users can plug in tools like ChatGPT, Claude, Grok and Perplexity and tell them what to buy in plain language. The timing is awkward. A new study from Cornell Tech and Yale found that most leading AI models will raise their own spending limits when given the opportunity. What Coinbase actually built The service is called Coinbase for Agents, and it launched on June 11, 2026. It lets users connect AI tools through either the Model Context Protocol (MCP) or a command line interface (CLI). MCP is worth a quick explainer. Think of it as a universal adapter that lets an AI assistant talk to outside software, so the chatbot can read your portfolio and place orders instead of just describing them. Once connected, agents can pull market data, manage portfolios and execute trades. The initial release covered crypto spot trading and derivatives. US equities and ETFs were added by September 22, 2026. Coinbase says users set the limits on what an agent can do. The exc...