MoonPay launches PayBox for ChatGPT crypto payments

MoonPay has launched PayBox, a noncustodial payment vault that lets users prepare and execute crypto transactions or online purchases through ChatGPT and Claude.

MoonPay PayBox turns AI conversations into transactions

PayBox allows users to connect a payment vault to ChatGPT or Anthropic’s Claude and describe a transaction in plain language. The AI assistant can then research available options, prepare the transaction, and execute it under permissions set by the user.

Supported crypto actions include buying digital assets with fiat currency, swapping tokens, moving assets between blockchains, and depositing funds into decentralized finance protocols. PayBox can also complete commercial transactions such as booking flights, reserving restaurant tables and purchasing goods from online retailers.

The launch extends AI assistants beyond research and transaction preparation by giving them limited authority to act on a user’s behalf. However, that authority depends on the security settings attached to the PayBox account.

MoonPay said the product is live through the PayBox website. Users must connect it to a supported AI platform through a custom connector before issuing payment instructions.

Passkeys and spending rules limit AI access

PayBox offers two authorization models. Under the “Always Ask” setting, every transaction requires the user to approve the action with a passkey. The approval applies to only one transaction and expires after use, preventing the AI from applying it to a different payment.

The “Autonomous” model allows the connected assistant to operate within spending limits and other rules chosen by the user. This option removes the need to approve each eligible transaction separately, but it does not give the assistant unrestricted control over the vault.

Any change to the permission model or transaction rules requires another passkey authorization. Users can therefore define how much the assistant can spend and the types of actions it can perform before enabling autonomous execution.

PayBox supports both crypto wallets and payment cards. For wallet transactions, private keys are divided using multiparty computation and stored across secure hardware environments. MoonPay said neither it nor the connected AI assistant can independently reconstruct the complete key or authorize an asset transfer.

Card payments use Visa’s agentic commerce protocol, allowing the assistant to complete approved purchases without receiving or storing the underlying card number.

PayBox supports Solana and major EVM networks

MoonPay has added support for Solana and several Ethereum Virtual Machine-compatible networks. The initial list includes Ethereum, Hyperliquid, Tempo, Base, Robinhood Chain, Arbitrum and Polygon.

The vault also integrates with x402, an open payment standard designed for services that accept transactions initiated by AI agents. MoonPay said its first x402 integrations cover travel bookings, restaurant reservations and purchases from major online retailers.

The network coverage lets users carry out several steps through one conversation. An assistant could, for example, help a user acquire an asset, bridge it to another blockchain and deposit it into a supported DeFi protocol, provided every step falls within the account’s permissions.

The product relies on security technology developed by Sodot, a key-management company MoonPay acquired earlier in 2026. MoonPay said Sodot’s infrastructure secures more than $50 billion in assets across over 10 million wallets.

MoonPay expands from institutional trading into AI payments

PayBox follows MoonPay’s recent expansion into tokenized financial products. As crypto.news reported in June, Franklin Templeton added its BENJI tokenized money market fund to MoonPay Trade.

That integration allows institutional users to exchange USDC, USDT and other stablecoins for BENJI through MoonPay’s on-chain trading platform. It also gives BENJI holders access to stablecoin liquidity and supports uses such as treasury management, portfolio rebalancing, collateral and liquidity provision.

PayBox targets a different part of the market by connecting consumer and crypto payments directly with conversational AI. MoonPay describes the vault as noncustodial because users retain control of their assets and neither MoonPay nor the AI provider can move funds alone.

For US users, PayBox’s use of Visa’s agentic commerce framework could make AI-assisted card payments more practical, while passkey controls may help address concerns over unauthorized purchases. Access to individual crypto assets, DeFi protocols, and payment services may still depend on location and the rules applied by each provider.