Decentralized communication protocol WalletConnect is embarking on the next phase of its growth with Smart Sessions, a new standard that will “redefine” wallet UX for the AI-powered future of the internet.
In a new blog post, WalletConnect Foundation founder Pedro Gomes outlined his vision for a “seamless, intelligent onchain world” powered by AI agents communicating through Smart Sessions.
“Smart Sessions aren’t just a UX upgrade,” Gomes wrote, explaining that they “fundamentally reshape the economic dynamics of WalletConnect.” Instead of “endless wallet popups,” Smart Sessions users simply connect once, setting clear rules for wallet interactions in natural language and delegating permission to an app—“or, increasingly, to an AI agent to transact on their behalf,” Gomes said.
WalletConnect claims to have enabled over 300 million “seamless, secure connections” for more than 45 million users worldwide, connecting an ecosystem of 700 wallets and 63,000 apps. AI agents are set to fuel explosive growth in the ecosystem, empowering functions including automated trading strategies, autonomous onchain games, subscription payments and real-time asset management.
AI agents, Gomes wrote, will become “first-class citizens” in this model—albeit operating within clearly defined parameters set by the user using Smart Sessions.
Using Smart Sessions, AI agents will also generate new streams of onchain activity, paving the way for greater utility for WalletConnect’s WCT token. Already used for staking and governance on the network, WCT will be used to pay transaction fees—which will scale as more AI agents come online. “The more autonomous agents transact, the greater the anticipated demand” for the WCT token, Gomes explained.
A bite of the Apple
The crypto ecosystem is set to receive a big boost from recent changes to Apple’s App Store policies, after the EU mandated that the multinational electronics giant open up its App Store to third-party payment providers. A new bill passing through the U.S. Congress would place similar requirements upon Apple.
The opening up of Apple’s App Store will afford Web3 apps and wallets “more freedom to guide users toward decentralized payment options, external wallets, and onchain transactions,” Gomes wrote—enabling mobile-first crypto experiences to “scale to their full potential.”
WalletConnect’s Smart Sessions will form a “critical” part of this infrastructure as they evolve into “Automated Onchain Actions,” Gomes said—powering “seamless, trusted interactions” between users, decentralized apps and AI agents.
Speaking to Decrypt earlier this year, Gomes outlined his long-term vision for Smart Sessions, explaining that they will “change not just how wallets work, but how we interact with dapps.” Ultimately, he said, crypto wallets leveraging WalletConnect’s infrastructure will have a “persistent connection that protects you from any malicious activity, and it just happens magically in the background.”
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