Why We Invested in Circuit & Chisel: Enabling Agentic Payments for the AI Economy
AI agents are rapidly approaching a level of independence where they can plan, reason, and take action on their own. However, when it comes to paying for the tools and services they require, these agents encounter a significant obstacle. Current payment systems were not designed to support software that operates autonomously. This is the challenge that Circuit & Chisel is addressing. Founded in 2025 by Louis Amira and David Noël-Romas, both formerly part of Stripe’s crypto and AI teams, Circuit & Chisel is creating the payment infrastructure specifically for the emerging AI economy.
Their open protocol, ATXP, is built for agent-native payments that are nested, delegated, and composable. To illustrate the problem, imagine having to physically visit a Blockbuster store every time you wanted to watch the next episode on Netflix or YouTube. This is the kind of friction AI agents face when using traditional payment methods. With ATXP, an AI agent can seamlessly purchase a single report, gain one-time access to a tool, or chain together multiple services without relying on cumbersome credit card processes or subscription models.
How Circuit & Chisel Is Revolutionizing Payments for Autonomous Software
ATXP is deliberately designed as an open protocol because the agentic web requires a shared standard rather than a closed system. This openness allows agents to hold wallets, while tools can set their own access rules. Payments directly authorize usage, eliminating the need for API keys or complex user management. This creates a straightforward way for software to interoperate. Developers can easily integrate their services, making them instantly accessible to AI agents.
The founders, Louis Amira and David Noël-Romas, bring a unique blend of expertise and credibility to the project. Louis led crypto and AI partnerships at Stripe, while David managed crypto engineering. Their insider knowledge combined with a fresh entrepreneurial vision positions Circuit & Chisel for success. Stripe not only supports their mission but also participated heavily in the company’s seed funding round.
The Strategic Importance of Agentic Payments and Our Investment Decision
As AI technology advances toward more capable assistants and on-device intelligence, secure autonomous payments become essential. AI agents must be able to purchase content, services, or goods on behalf of users without friction. Samsung is well-positioned to benefit from the convergence of AI agents and blockchain-based payments. Our long-term investment thesis has focused on both sectors, and we believe the timing is ideal for their integration. Circuit & Chisel stands out as the best team to lead this transformation.
Although the market is still in its early stages, timing is critical. As AI agents mature, their ability to conduct transactions will unlock new workflows and business models. Recently, Circuit & Chisel announced a $19.2 million seed round led by Primary Venture Partners and ParaFi Capital. Samsung Next is proud to participate alongside investors such as Stripe, Coinbase Ventures, Solana Ventures, Polygon Labs, and other industry leaders.
We view payments as one of the most valuable layers in technology. Circuit & Chisel has the right team, product, and timing to establish ATXP as the default payment rails for autonomous software. This is why we invested in Circuit & Chisel and why we are excited about the future of agentic payments in the AI economy.
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Source: original article.