Fesadexco

This is a general announcement. Products and services referred to here may not be available in your region.
Fellow Binancians,
Binance is excited to launch a zero-fee promotion on ZAR deposits for all new users* in South Africa.
During the Promotion Period, new users* who make their first eligible ZAR deposit of at least 500 ZAR via Linked Payments in a single transaction on the ZAR deposit page will qualify for an instant discount on their transaction fees on a first-come, first-served basis.
The value of discount will be equivalent to the transaction fees incurred from the user’s first eligible ZAR deposit.
Additionally, the first 100 eligible new users who also trade any amount in any ZAR trading pairs on Binance Spot or convert any amount of cryptocurrency via their ZAR balance via Binance Convert during the Promotion Period will each receive a 10 USDT equivalent Buy Crypto Fee Voucher.
Promotion Period: 2025-04-07 08:00 - 2025-04-30 23:59 (UTC)
Deposit Now!
Note:
*New users are defined as participants who have never used Binance Fiat Deposit or Buy Crypto feature prior to 2025-04-07 08:00 (UTC). Users can only enjoy the instant fee discount once, with the discount capped at 180 ZAR per user.
How to Participate:
For users who are using the Binance App: Tap [Add Funds] on the Binance homepage. Then select [Deposit ZAR] - [Linked Payments].For users who are using the Binance website: Click [Buy Crypto] on the Binance homepage. Switch to the [Deposit Fiat] tab and select [Deposit ZAR] - [Linked Payments].For a step-by-step tutorial, please refer to this FAQ.
Once you have completed the ZAR deposit, you can get your first crypto via the following method:
Buy Crypto: Buy crypto with ZAR balance (guide)Spot Trading: Trade with ZAR trading pairs (guide)Binance Convert: Convert ZAR to crypto (guide)
Terms & Conditions:
Only eligible users whose certificates of residence or proof of address are in South Africa and have completed account verification during the Promotion Period will be eligible to join this Promotion.Promotion A:A total budget of 5,000 USDT equivalent is available for this Promotion, distributed on a first-come, first-served basis.Zero fee is only applicable to eligible users’ first eligible ZAR deposit via Linked Payments.Any deposits with zero transaction fees will not count as the first transaction.Promotion B:A total budget of 1,000 USDT equivalent is available for this Promotion, distributed on a first-come, first-served basis.A Buy Crypto Fee Voucher is provided to Binance users to help reduce the fees associated with depositing fiat or purchasing crypto on the Buy Crypto Page. This discount can be applied to any Buy Crypto channel fees during the voucher's validity period. For more details, please refer to What Are ‘Buy Crypto’ Fee Vouchers and How to Use Them.Buy Crypto Fee Vouchers will be distributed to eligible users within 3 weeks after the Promotion ends. Buy Crypto Fee Vouchers will expire within 4 weeks after distribution. Eligible users should claim their Buy Crypto Fee Vouchers before the expiration date. Learn how to use a Buy Crypto fee voucher.The Buy Crypto Fee Voucher from this promotion is multiple-use only, with the maximum discount fee amount of 10 USDT.Users must update their Binance App to version 2.96.0 or above to use Buy Crypto Fee Voucher on the App.Binance reserves the right to disqualify user’s reward eligibility if the account is involved in any dishonest behavior (e.g., wash trading, illegally bulk registered accounts, self dealing, or market manipulation).Binance reserves the right to determine and/or amend or vary these Terms & Conditions, its eligibility terms, and criteria, the selection and number of winners, and the timing of any act to be done if it is justified due to important reasons, namely applicable:Changes in applicable regulations or policies;Obligations arising out of law or decisions issued by common courts or public administration;Anti-money laundering or combating financing terrorism rules;Technical issues beyond our control;Necessity to protect users from potential losses;Necessity to protect Binance from the loss of reputation;Extraordinary events or circumstances beyond our control (force majeure).Additional promotion terms and conditions can be accessed here.
Thank you for your support!
Binance Team
2025-04-07

Key Takeaways

AI agents are autonomous software programs that perceive their environment, reason about goals, and take actions, including executing transactions on blockchain networks.

Unlike earlier AI tools that only generated text, modern AI agents can negotiate, manage wallets, and interact with smart contracts without constant human input.

Protocols like Anthropic's Model Context Protocol (MCP) and Google's Agent Payments Protocol (AP2) give agents secure access to data and a way to execute payments.

AI agents are increasingly using DePIN (decentralized physical infrastructure networks) to autonomously purchase compute power and storage.

Stablecoins have become a primary settlement tool for agent-to-agent (A2A) transactions because they allow 24/7, programmable payments.

Introduction

AI agents are software programs that can act autonomously on behalf of users, combining artificial intelligence (AI) with the ability to take real-world actions. Not just a basic chatbot that answers your questions, an AI agent can plan a sequence of steps, call external tools, and carry out tasks from start to finish.

Today, AI agents have moved from an experimental concept to a practical part of the digital economy. This article explains what AI agents are, how they work, and where they are being used in crypto.

What Are AI Agents?

An AI agent is an autonomous software program designed to perceive its environment, reason about how to achieve a specific goal, and execute actions to fulfill that goal.

A Large Language Model (LLM) might write an email for you. An AI agent can write the email, find the recipient's address, send it, and schedule a follow-up meeting based on the reply. In crypto, this means agents can manage wallets, execute DeFi strategies, and interact with smart contracts without waiting for human input at each step.

This shift is powered by new interoperability standards and payment systems. These allow software to effectively hire other software, creating a decentralized economy that operates around the clock.

How Do AI Agents Work?

Modern AI agents rely on a set of protocols that let them act securely and accurately.

Context and connectivity (MCP)

Many AI agents use Anthropic's Model Context Protocol (MCP) to standardize how they connect to data sources and tools. This prevents agents from being limited to a single platform and allows them to securely access the context they need, such as a user's portfolio history or real-time market data.

Authorization and intent (mandates)

When a user asks an agent to perform a task, the system can generate an Intent Mandate, which is a cryptographically signed digital contract. This mandate proves the user authorized the agent to act within specific limits, such as spending up to a certain amount. Verifiable Digital Credentials (VDCs) link the agent to its human principal and define the scope of what the agent can do.

Agent-to-agent (A2A) communication

Agents often need to collaborate. Using Agent-to-Agent (A2A) protocols, a shopping agent can communicate directly with a merchant agent to negotiate prices or check inventory, with minimal human involvement.

AI Agents and Crypto: Key Use Cases

The combination of AI and blockchain has moved beyond generative art. Agents are now part of core financial and infrastructure applications.

Agentic commerce and payments

One of the more significant developments is the standardization of agent payments. Google's Agent Payments Protocol (AP2) has established a framework for agents to execute transactions. Stablecoins have become a common settlement layer for these interactions because they allow for programmable, 24/7 settlement that most traditional banking systems cannot support.

Agents can handle multi-step flows, such as booking a flight and hotel simultaneously while staying within a user's budget, all using signed mandates to authorize spending.

DePIN and compute markets

AI agents require significant computing power. Rather than relying solely on centralized cloud providers, agents are increasingly using decentralized finance (DeFi)-adjacent infrastructure. Agents can autonomously locate, negotiate for, and purchase distributed GPU compute or storage from DePIN networks. This creates a market where hardware providers can earn revenue from AI workloads.

Autonomous DeFi management

In decentralized finance, agents have evolved from simple trading bots to more complex portfolio managers. An agent can monitor yields across multiple chains and rebalance assets automatically. More advanced agents can watch for liquidation risks or smart contract vulnerabilities and withdraw funds proactively if a threat is detected.

Trust and verification

AI agents are also being used to verify the authenticity of digital content. Blockchain-based provenance protocols allow agents to trace the origin of digital files, helping identify altered media and enforce ownership rights in an environment where AI-generated content is abundant.

Challenges for AI Agents

Despite rapid progress, integrating AI agents into finance and infrastructure raises some important challenges.

Identity and compliance: Just as financial institutions need Know Your Customer (KYC) systems, the AI industry is developing Know Your Agent (KYA) frameworks. Agents need cryptographically signed credentials that link them to a human principal and define their liability.

Scalability: High-frequency agent transactions require significant throughput. Layer 2 solutions have improved capacity, but handling the volume of machine-to-machine commerce at scale remains an ongoing challenge.

Security: Centralized AI models can create single points of failure. Approaches like Secrets-as-a-Service aim to let agents manage sensitive data, such as private keys, using decentralized key management rather than relying on a single server.

FAQ

What is an AI agent in simple terms?

An AI agent is a software program that can take actions on its own to achieve a goal. Instead of just answering questions, it can plan steps, use tools, and complete tasks from start to finish, such as sending a message, executing a trade, or purchasing compute resources.

How do AI agents use blockchain?

AI agents use blockchain to manage digital assets, execute smart contracts, and make payments. Blockchain provides a transparent, tamper-resistant record of what an agent has done, which is important for accountability. Stablecoins give agents a way to settle payments instantly, at any time, without relying on traditional banking infrastructure.

What is the Model Context Protocol (MCP)?

MCP is a standard developed by Anthropic that allows AI agents to connect securely to external data sources and tools. It helps prevent agents from being siloed to a single platform and gives them access to the context they need, such as real-time market data or a user's transaction history.

What is Know Your Agent (KYA)?

Know Your Agent (KYA) is a proposed compliance framework that would require AI agents to carry verifiable credentials linking them to a human principal. This is similar to Know Your Customer (KYC) requirements for individuals. KYA frameworks aim to make it clear who is responsible when an agent takes a financial action.

Are AI agents the same as trading bots?

Trading bots are a simple form of automation that follow predefined rules, such as buying when a price drops to a certain level. AI agents are more sophisticated: they can reason, adapt to new information, communicate with other agents, and take multi-step actions across different platforms. Modern DeFi agents can do far more than a traditional trading bot.

Closing Thoughts

AI agents now go far beyond tools that simply respond to input, they are programs that can act independently to achieve goals that you give them, including financial objectives on blockchain networks.

As standards like MCP and AP2 mature and stablecoins become more widely used as settlement layers, agents are likely to take on a larger role in how people and institutions interact with decentralized systems.

Further Reading

Artificial Intelligence (AI) glossary

Top Artificial Intelligence (AI) Cryptocurrencies

What Is DePIN in Crypto?

What Is a Stablecoin?

The Complete Beginner's Guide to Decentralized Finance (DeFi)

Disclaimer: This content is presented to you on an "as is" basis for general information and or educational purposes only, without representation or warranty of any kind. It should not be construed as financial, legal or other professional advice, nor is it intended to recommend the purchase of any specific product or service. You should seek your own advice from appropriate professional advisors. Where the content is contributed by a third party contributor, please note that those views expressed belong to the third party contributor, and do not necessarily reflect those of Binance Academy. Digital asset prices can be volatile. The value of your investment may go down or up and you may not get back the amount invested. You are solely responsible for your investment decisions and Binance Academy is not liable for any losses you may incur. For more information, see our Terms of Use, Risk Warning and Binance Academy Terms.