Picture a world where
AI agents
handle your shopping, investments, and workflows—paying vendors instantly, securely, and without Big Tech snooping on your data. This isn’t sci-fi; it’s the AI agent economy, and
BitGPT
is building its backbone with the groundbreaking h402 payment protocol.
Lia Müller Peña, co-founder of BitGPT, explained in an interview with TheStreet
Roundtable
how their privacy-preserving, blockchain-powered platform is set to revolutionize commerce and why high net-worth individuals and family offices should invest in this seismic shift before it reshapes global markets.
Building a safer AI future
Lia Müller Peña’s passion for a decentralized AI future drives BitGPT’s mission. “We started with a reality we want to live in—where AI benefits us without intruding on our sovereignty, intimacy, and autonomy,” Müller Peña shared.
Recognizing that AI agents will dominate commerce in 18–24 months, BitGPT reverse-engineered the infrastructure needed for an autonomous, privacy-first agent economy. “We asked, where can we bring the best of AI and blockchain together to create privacy-preserving methods?” she said.
The result? The h402 protocol, a game-changing payment standard launched in 2025, built on HTTP 402—a dormant web standard now revived for crypto microtransactions. “
Crypto
is perfect for AI agents—it handles microtransactions and cross-border payments,” Müller Peña explained.
BitGPT’s platform bridges Web2 merchants and Web3 agents, enabling seamless, secure payments for compute, APIs, and services. With over 1,000% community growth post-Binance Blockchain Week 2024, BitGPT is already fueling the agent economy.
AI agents: your money, their muscle
How do AI agents pay each other? “It’s a three-step programmed process,” Müller Peña said. “Connect your wallet, choose what the agent does or represents, and denominate the currency.”
Agents can pay vendors for resources like compute or APIs, represent products, or execute workflows with granular controls—spending caps, limit orders, or specific instructions. “An agent isn’t tapping a credit card,” she added. The h402 protocol verifies transactions via HTTP 402, slashing fees to 0.25% compared to Stripe’s 1.5–4.35%.
This unlocks agent-driven commerce, the next evolution from brick-and-mortar to e-commerce. “In 8–18 months, agents will source, curate, and execute based on your intentions,” Müller Peña predicted.
Why TradFi investors should act now
For high net-worth individuals and family offices, BitGPT’s h402 protocol is a must-watch. “There’s a new agent-based economy forming that will change consumer behavior,” Müller Peña said.
Unlike speculative crypto bets, this is a “technologically driven economy” where crypto is the technical backbone, not an ideological choice. “Agents will choose the quickest chain with the least slippage,” she noted, boosting stablecoin adoption and real-world revenue.
BitGPT’s traction is undeniable: their Binance demo in 2024 drew 250,000+ replay views, and partnerships with SingularityNET co-founders signal credibility.
Franklin Templeton’s 2025 AI report projects $1T in agent-driven DeFi by 2030, with platforms like BitGPT leading. Investors can tap into tokenized revenue from h402’s 0.25% fees, offering predictable cash flows. “This is about revenue and adoption, not unproven projects,” Müller Peña emphasized, aligning with TradFi’s cash-flow focus.
Overcoming TradFi skepticism
Müller Peña understands why investors would be skeptical. “TradFi needs to feel safe and see value in a chain or token,” she said. Past crypto volatility stemmed from speculative token launches before products existed.
BitGPT shifts the game: agents drive demand based on utility—speed, low fees, and interoperability. “We’re moving from speculative buy-in to volume-driven adoption,” she explained. Stablecoin usage, up 20% in 2025 per X trends, supports this shift.
Education is key. “TradFi often assesses unproven teams or token events,” Müller Peña noted. BitGPT’s transparent h402 protocol, built on open standards, and privacy-preserving Small Language Models (SLMs) reduce risk.
By prioritizing data sovereignty with zero-knowledge proofs and on-device processing, BitGPT builds trust. “This filters out bad actors and hype,” she added, making it a safer bet for cautious investors.
