Base Targets Agentic Finance With 10-Team Startup Cohort

Coinbase’s Base has launched a $100,000-per-team startup accelerator focused on AI agents, payments, and financing products. The latest cohort will include 10 teams, with Base directing the program toward agentic finance and on-chain payments.

Base Batches 004: A Smaller Cohort, Bigger Checks

The program, called Base Batches 004, is accepting applications through September 9, according to Decrypt’s reporting on the launch. The eight-week virtual accelerator will conclude with a Demo Day in New York in November, where selected teams will present to investors.

Each of the 10 selected teams will receive a $100,000 investment upfront, bringing the cohort’s total allocation to $1 million. According to Decrypt, the program is shifting from broader cohorts toward a smaller group of teams that will receive hands-on support and deeper integration with the Base ecosystem.

The accelerator is targeting pre-seed startups building in trading, payments, financing, and AI agents. Its areas of interest include products using stablecoins for agent-driven shopping, trading, and payments, as well as infrastructure for lending, e-commerce, and decentralized AI. Teams can operate across multiple blockchains, but Base must be their primary network. The program is also seeking founders with fintech backgrounds who can bring new financial products on-chain.

Base’s Focus on Agentic Finance

The accelerator reflects Base’s focus on stablecoins and programmable payments for AI-related financial products. Decrypt reported that the program expects AI agents to become a significant source of on-chain activity and views blockchains as financial rails for AI.

Coinbase has been building tools intended to let AI agents hold and spend money. In February, Coinbase launched Agentic Wallets on Base, allowing AI agents to hold USDC and make payments using its x402 protocol. In June, it launched Coinbase for Agents, which connects AI agents directly to user accounts. Decrypt also reported that MoonPay is building projects for AI agents to hold and spend money.

Selected teams will take part in the virtual program with a dedicated advisor and weekly support, receive help building visibility across the Base ecosystem, and present to investors at the November Demo Day in New York.

What the Market Is Watching

Beyond the accelerator itself, prediction markets are tracking the longer-running question of whether Base could launch its own token. Polymarket odds tracked through Vera, Crypto Briefing’s prediction-market intelligence tool, showed a 53% probability for a Base token launch by January 1, 2028, and 34% by July 1, 2027. The same market showed 6.5% odds by the end of 2026 and 2.1% by October 1, 2026.

The market pricing places higher probabilities on later dates than on a launch by the end of 2026. Crypto Briefing said the accelerator could affect perceptions if further developments unfold, and that subsequent announcements involving partnerships or technological progress could influence expectations around Base’s strategic direction. The prediction market continues to track those expectations.

What Comes Next

The application window closes September 9. Selected teams will then complete the eight-week program before presenting at the Demo Day in New York in November.

For now, the confirmed details are that Base plans to select 10 teams, invest $100,000 in each, and focus the cohort on AI agents, payments, financing, and related on-chain products.