Edwin Mata, CEO of the tokenization platform Brickken, is calling for stricter security protocols regarding AI agents in finance. He argues that institutions must clearly separate the permission to view account data from the authority to execute financial transactions.
The statement follows the October 20 announcement by Mastercard regarding its Agent Pay for Machines program. This system allows AI agents to purchase digital services within set budgets. During a demonstration at Cloudflare Connect, an agent completed nine payments to two providers using Coinbase wallet infrastructure and the Base blockchain.
Mata emphasized that authorization for routine digital payments should not automatically grant agents the power to trade tokenized securities or transfer funds. He advocates for specific mandates and eligibility checks for each type of financial activity to prevent unauthorized actions.
Major financial institutions, including JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, and Morgan Stanley, are currently reviewing or restricting access for third-party AI agents. Banks are concerned about security risks and the difficulty of distinguishing between authorized user activity and actions taken by autonomous software.
