AI-driven commerce platform Rezolve AI has acquired Smartpay, a fintech company facilitating over $1 billion in annual USDt transactions, in a move aimed at accelerating the integration of stablecoin payments into mainstream digital commerce.
The deal, announced Tuesday, marks a significant step for Rezolve’s strategic partnership with Tether, the issuer of USDt, and underscores the growing intersection between artificial intelligence (AI) and blockchain-based financial systems. Financial details of the acquisition were not disclosed.
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Founded in 2019, Smartpay has emerged as one of the leading fintech platforms enabling stablecoin-based transactions across Latin America and Central Africa — regions increasingly turning to digital assets to bypass inflation, cross-border friction, and banking limitations.
Over the past 12 months ending Sept. 30, Smartpay processed more than 19 million commercial transactions, valued at over $1 billion in USDt. The platform allows customers to pay in stablecoins like USDt, while merchants receive instant settlements in local fiat currencies, mitigating volatility risks and simplifying crypto payment adoption.
Source: Rezolve AI
“Smartpay gives Rezolve a proven, transaction-tested foundation to scale our digital asset payment initiative globally,” said Daniel M. Wagner, CEO of Rezolve AI. He added that the company’s vision is to “bridge AI, blockchain, and payments into a seamless digital commerce experience that benefits both consumers and merchants.”
The acquisition places Rezolve among a growing list of global players — including BitPay and Coinbase Commerce — that are building crypto payment infrastructure to support a new generation of digital financial products. Rezolve plans to leverage Smartpay’s network to expand its blockchain-powered payment rails into new markets across Asia, Africa, and Europe, creating a hybrid model where AI-enabled systems can facilitate faster and more intelligent financial transactions.
AI and Payments: The Next Frontier for Crypto Adoption
Industry experts say the convergence of AI and payments is emerging as one of the most promising frontiers for real-world crypto adoption.
A joint study by Reown and YouGov published last week found that AI integration and digital payment utility are the top factors driving the next phase of crypto growth. According to Reown CEO Jess Hougrave, “Payments and AI represent the twin pillars of crypto’s evolution — one makes digital assets useful, and the other makes them intelligent.”
Tech giants are already exploring this synergy. In September, Google partnered with Coinbase to launch the Agent Payments Protocol, enabling AI agents to autonomously execute crypto transactions, primarily using stablecoins. The initiative is seen as a key milestone in embedding blockchain infrastructure into AI-powered financial systems.
Galaxy Digital CEO Mike Novogratz echoed the sentiment earlier this year, predicting that “AI agents will become the largest stablecoin users,” citing their need for instant, programmable, and borderless transactions.
The acquisition of Smartpay thus positions Rezolve AI at the heart of this emerging ecosystem — one where AI and stablecoins together drive faster, smarter, and more global financial interactions.