Hassan Maishera
We are in the age of AI, as they have gained adoption in various sectors of the global economy. The convergence of blockchain technology and AI is one that presents exciting opportunities.
Already, we have AI agents that perform a wide range of functions for cryptocurrency traders and investors. According to Grand View Research, the global AI agents market size was estimated at $5.40 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach $50.31 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 45.8% from 2025 to 2030.
Kite to Build the Base Layer for Agentic Web
The promise of this emerging sector has led Kite, a company building the foundational trust infrastructure for the agentic web, to raise $18 million in Series A funding to build the base layer for the agentic web.
In a press release shared with Cryptowisser, Kite revealed that this funding round brings its total cumulative funding to $33 million. The round was led by PayPal Ventures and General Catalyst. Other investors in the company include 8VC, Samsung Next, SBI US Gateway Fund, Vertex Ventures, Hashed, HashKey Capital, Dispersion Capital, Alumni Ventures, Avalanche Foundation, GSR Markets, LayerZero, Animoca Brands, Essence VC, and Alchemy.
Why Kite is the Team to Build the Agentic Base Layer
Kite is an experienced project in the crypto space as it is formerly known as Zettablock. As Zettablock, the team built large-scale, real-time data infrastructures serving decentralized networks like Sui, Polygon, Chainlink, and EigenLayer.
Kite will build on that experience and develop the base layer for AI agents. The funding round comes after the company launched Kite Agent Identity Resolution, or “Kite AIR”. This solution empowers autonomous agents to authenticate, transact, and operate independently in real-world environments.
The team explained that Kite AIR delivers programmable identity, native stablecoin payment, and policy enforcement on a blockchain optimized for autonomous agents. This solution comprises two major parts: Agent Passport, a verifiable identity with operational guardrails; and Agent App Store, where agents can discover and pay to access services such as APIs, data, and commerce tools. This solution already has real-world applications as it is integrated with popular commerce platforms like Shopify and PayPal.
While commenting on this latest development, Alan Du, Partner at PayPal Ventures, said,
“Kite is the first real infrastructure that is purpose-built for the agentic economy. Payment has proven to be a challenging technical gap. Solutions like virtual cards provide only short-term workarounds. Latency, fees, and chargebacks further complicate things. Kite bridges this critical gap by providing stablecoin-based, millisecond-level settlement with low transaction fees and no chargeback fraud risks. This enables new economic models such as agent-to-agent metered billing, micro-subscription, and high-frequency trading.”
Kite is Working on More Integrations
Thanks to Kite AIR, PayPal and Shopify merchants can opt in through the Kite Agent App Store and become discoverable to AI shopping agents. The solution ensures that purchases are settled on-chain with full traceability, using stablecoins and programmable permissions.
Today, using publicly available APIs, any PayPal or Shopify merchant can opt in through the Kite Agent App Store and become discoverable to AI shopping agents. Purchases are settled on-chain with full traceability, using stablecoins and programmable permissions. Kite added that they are currently working on additional integrations across commerce, finance, and data platforms.
Earlier this week, Kite announced partnerships with Irys and Vishwa as it looks to expand the utility of its agentic layer.
Another big week for us at Kite AI:
— KITE AI (@GoKiteAI) August 31, 2025
☑️ We partnered with @irys_xyz to create a foundational data infrastructure for other blockchain ecosystems that need programmable, verifiable data
☑️ We partnered with @Vishwa_xyz to power agentic liquidity strategies on Kite AI
☑️ Kite AI… pic.twitter.com/VOWjcx8ogi
Chi Zhang, Co-Founder and CEO of Kite, stated that,
“From the beginning, we believed autonomous agents would be the dominant UI for the future digital economies. To function, they need structured and verifiable data. That was our first step. Next come identity, trust, and programmable payments. Today’s human-centric systems are too rigid and brittle for swarms of agents conducting micro-transactions at machine speed. Kite AIR solves that”.
In a statement, Marc Bhargava, Managing Director at General Catalyst, praised Kite for doing the foundational work that would define how agents operate in the future. Steve Everett, Head of Global Market Development, PayPal Crypto and Digital Assets, also shares this sentiment. He stated that,
"Kite's foundational trust infrastructure, together with the benefits of a well-regulated stablecoin for agentic payments, will create unprecedented opportunities. Enabling simultaneous, atomic settlement, governed by smart contracts that allow for real-time tracking and auditing across highly performant blockchain protocols will be the killer combination that delivers the promises of programmable payments in the exciting frontier of agentic commerce.”
Kite is led by a team of experts with years of experience in blockchain technology, applied AI, and large-scale data infrastructure. Led by CEO Chi Zhang and CTO Scott Shi, Kite currently holds over 30 patents and publications at top conferences like NeurIPS and ICML.
