Rank 3 in the Project Creator Pad snuck up on me, but it's a good feeling. Mostly because of the back-and-forth in the comments — folks sharing their own stories made it all click.
Kite AI has lingered in my thoughts this month. There's that familiar letdown when an agent pulls off something sharp — like mapping out a road trip route with hidden gems or sifting through market trends for a quick trade idea — and then it all grinds to a halt over money. Happened to me just the other day. Kite steps in with a Layer-1 that's all about giving agents that independence, though with controls you dial in yourself.
The sub-accounts are a highlight. You carve out budgets for each one — say, $200 a month for that road trip agent on gas apps and maps. Stablecoins glide through without a hitch. Off-chain handles the rapid bits. On-chain locks down the trust. Identities you can actually verify. And x402? It dusts off an old web standard for machines to pay each other straight up.
Shopify tie-ins starting to show — agents could soon snag real items, like a new backpack for the trip, no hand-holding needed.
Figures for today, December 26: KITE hovering around $0.086, market cap about $155 million, 24-hour volume roughly $29 million, circulating 1.8 billion out of 10 billion total.
The $33 million raise adds some weight — PayPal Ventures and Coinbase Ventures stepping in.
Realism creeps in here, though. Will developers pile on and make agents that truly depend on this? Unlocks might jostle things down the line. If an agent overspends, sorting the fallout could get messy. Rules aren't fully there. Others pushing similar setups too.
As the campaign rolls on, Kite's tight vision stands out. Quiet support for agents tipping locals on that road trip or splitting gas costs with buddies in 2026. Shifting from idea to something practical.
Grateful for the exchanges! what's onw payment you'd hans off to an agent?
