MetaMask Appoints AI Agents Under $10,000 Protection on Ethereum (ETH)

Ethereum News

MetaMask appointed AI agents to limited trading authority over Ethereum (ETH)-compatible assets on Thursday under Agent Wallet, a self-custodial AI Crypto Wallet arrangement that requires users to set the rules before any capital is committed. MetaMask framed the release as a rules-based model in which the agent acts inside boundaries set by the user, not as unrestricted wallet access. The company moved the product to a wider audience after placing it with roughly 200 early-access users in June, positioning it for traders and developers using autonomous strategies. Under the stated terms, an AI Trading Bot can perform token swaps, perpetual-futures trades, prediction-market positions and liquidity provisioning, including activity routed through automated market maker pools, across supported EVM networks and Hyperliquid. The announcement names Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, OpenClaw, Hermes and OpenCode as compatible development tools. Users keep their private keys, can export the secret recovery phrase and must first define daily spending caps, approved protocols and risk preferences. The default Guard Mode pauses any transaction that breaches those limits, touches an unapproved protocol or violates another policy, then sends a two-factor approval request through MetaMask Mobile or email. Beast Mode reduces approval interruptions for experienced operators, while security checks remain active and potentially malicious transactions still require human authorization. MetaMask also built gas abstraction into the wallet, allowing agents to transfer or swap tokens without holding the network’s native asset for fees; the fee is settled in the token being moved. Supported EVM transactions pass through simulation, threat scanning and Smart Transactions protection against maximal extractable value risks before reaching the chain. Transactions that clear those checks may qualify for as much as $10,000 in monthly Transaction Protection if they still produce a covered loss, subject to eligibility and excluding every failed strategy or unsupported trade. No native token was introduced alongside the launch, and adoption will depend on users granting limited authority over on-chain capital.

The second part of the rollout is an early-access plan disclosed by MetaMask’s official announcement, which ties the product to a trusted execution environment and Blockaid-driven Transaction Shield scanning before any transaction reaches the network. The company said users keep private-key control and can export their recovery phrase at every stage, while TEE strengthens key protection. The announcement said the core principle is that agents act autonomously only inside user-defined boundaries. MetaMask positioned the release as a step for on-chain AI agents, while keeping the wallet self-custodial. Initial access runs through a command-line interface, and the system is described as framework-agnostic, supporting OpenAI Codex, Claude Code, Cursor, OpenClaw and Nous Research Hermes Agent. The supported network list includes Ethereum, Linea, Arbitrum, Avalanche, Optimism, Base, Polygon, BSC and Sei, alongside derivatives venue Hyperliquid, with functions covering swaps, perpetual futures, prediction markets and liquidity provisioning. Under the default Guard Mode, participants set daily spending ceilings, protocol whitelists and strategy borders. If an agent initiates a transaction outside those borders, the request pauses and a two-factor review is delivered through MetaMask Mobile push or email. This pause-and-review step is intended to keep human confirmation visible, rather than leaving users exposed to Blind Signing style authorization. Beast Mode gives advanced traders and developers more latitude at strategy edges and reduces interruptions, but MetaMask stated that every transaction still passes through simulation, threat scanning and maximal extractable value protection. Transactions judged safe may receive up to $10,000 in monthly transaction protection, while any request flagged as malicious or severe remains blocked from bypassing two-factor approval. The current phase is limited to approved crypto-native traders and developers, who can apply through the official portal, test CLI stability and configure strategy limits. MetaMask said the early stage is meant to collect real-user feedback on controls, with full availability planned for this summer.

COINOTAG’s analysis reads both updates as one contractual arc for Ethereum: wallet software is moving from manual signing toward conditional delegation. MetaMask’s official announcement sets the concrete terms: Agent Wallet covers EVM networks and Hyperliquid, connects through a CLI during early access, offers Guard and Beast modes, and provides eligible transactions with up to $10,000 in monthly protection after a June pilot involving about 200 users. The announcement does not disclose the funding source for protection claims, the reimbursement process or the exact date of full release. Users retain private keys, while policy checks determine whether an agent’s order reaches the chain. The arrangement is announced and in early access.