Visa Crypto Labs has introduced Visa CLI, a beta command-line interface that lets AI agents initiate secure card payments directly from the terminal without managing API keys. The tool is designed to enable bots, scripts, and other automated workflows to pay for web services with minimal human involvement, while Visa also integrates Tempo's Machine Payments Protocol alongside initiatives like x402 for AI-native transactions.

On Monday, blockchain data firm Messari confirmed a leadership change and new layoffs as it accelerates its AI-first strategy. Eric Turner stepped down as CEO and passed the role to long-time CTO Diran Li, while the company parted ways with an undisclosed number of employees after earlier cuts of about 15% in January 2025 and a similar reduction in February 2023. Li said Messari will focus on serving institutional clients with AI-driven research and products and recently opened its data layer to autonomous agents via the x402 protocol.

Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino stated on March 15 that an upcoming announcement will unveil what he calls a "true breakthrough" for the company's AI division, signaling a new development for the QVAC platform. The teaser follows the release of QVAC Workbench version 0.4.1 and builds on Tether Data's broader push into decentralized AI, synthetic datasets and on-device large language models funded by profits from USDT operations. While specific details have not been disclosed, the move is framed as part of Tether's strategy to move beyond stablecoins into AI infrastructure and related emerging technologies.

On March 15, 2026, Tesla detailed its Terafab project, a $25 billion semiconductor plant designed to eventually manufacture up to 200 billion custom AI chips per year. The facility targets 2-nanometre process technology, with small-batch AI5 chip output in 2026 and mass production planned for 2027, while a March 21 launch date underscores both the project's ambition and its execution risks.

OpenAI has again postponed the launch of ChatGPT's adult mode, a feature for verified adults to access erotica and other mature content, after it was first announced in October and initially targeted for a December release. The company is prioritizing upgrades to ChatGPT's intelligence, personality, and proactivity, while the feature remains scheduled for the first quarter of the year. Former product policy VP Ryan Beiermeister had raised objections to adult mode before her January dismissal, which OpenAI says was unrelated to her internal concerns.

On Friday, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin said he is no longer closely aligned with the Future of Life Institute, which received Shiba Inu (SHIB) tokens from him in 2021 that were later cashed out for around $500 million. He explained that the group’s focus shifted from a wide agenda on existential risks to cultural and political advocacy around AI, and he criticized proposals that rely on safeguards in biosynthesis tools and AI models as too fragile. Buterin added that he had expected the institute to liquidate no more than $10–25 million worth of the SHIB instead of the much larger amount it ultimately realized.

On Wednesday, Eightco Holdings (ORBS) announced it had raised $125 million led by Bitmine, with additional capital from Ark Invest and Kraken's parent Payward, sending its shares up more than 11% by Thursday's close. The company said the funds will back new investments in artificial intelligence, blockchain infrastructure and digital consumer platforms, including a $50 million allocation to OpenAI and $25 million to MrBeast's Beast Industries.

Andreessen Horowitz partner Noah Levine reported that AI agents processed about $1.6 million in payments over the past month, far below earlier estimates of $24 million from other data sources. He attributed the lower figure to adjusted data from Allium Labs and highlighted that, while volumes are still small, major firms including Coinbase, Stripe, Cloudflare, Vercel and Google are building payment infrastructure such as the x402 standard and its new Polygon support.