Singapore-based crypto travel platform Travala has launched a protocol it says allows AI agents to search, book and pay for hotels with USDC (USDC) on a Level 2 blockchain base, extending agent AI stablecoin payments to travel bookings.
Travala Travel MCP works through Claude Desktop, and third-party developers can integrate it into their own travel agencies, Travala said in a statement sent to Cointelegraph.
The company said the system connects Travala’s hotel inventory with AI agents via the Model Context Protocol, an open standard for connecting AI applications to external tools. Payments use Coinbase’s x402 protocol on Base, and Travala says the setup allows gas-free USDC transactions, near-instant settlement and transaction costs of around $0.01 per booking.
AI trips still require human approval
However, final payment authorization still requires manual approval from passengers, meaning it’s not fully autonomous, but it’s more advanced than a chatbot that just recommends itineraries.
The launch comes at a time when crypto companies are trying to make stablecoins useful for machine-to-machine trading and follows a wave of AI agent-centric crypto payment infrastructure. Cointelegraph recently reported that x402-connected wallets on Base have surpassed 100 million transactions, while Fireblocks, MoonPay, Exodus and Oobit have launched AI-driven stablecoin payments products.
Cumulative agent transfer volumes on the basis. Source: Chain analysis
Travala described the launch as an early step toward autonomous travel booking, although travelers still have final approval for payments, and said it is offering developers a 10% Coinbase Wrapped BTC (cbBTC) rebate for completed stays booked through its agents.
“The launch of the world’s first AI travel agent protocol marks the death of the checkout button,” Travala CEO Juan Otero said, calling it the start of a “truly autonomous travel economy.”
Travala said the setup uses ERC-7715 session keys, allowing an AI agent to request payment while retaining final signing authority in the passenger’s wallet. The company said the protocol can maintain context across searches, reservations and cancellations in a single conversation thread.
Related: Coinbase-backed x402 adds bulk settlement for AI agent payments
Travala is planning a wider range of trips
Travala said the protocol covers more than 2.2 million hotels, including Marriott, Hilton and IHG listings, sourced from its aggregator partners.
The company said it plans to expand the protocol beyond hotels to other travel products, including flights, and expects its Traval loyalty token (AVA) to support future Travel MCP use cases.
Travala was founded in 2017 and competes with crypto-friendly travel platforms such as Sleap.io and Alternative Airlines, although its latest protocol moves the comparison from crypto billing to an AI-agent booking infrastructure. The company says it accepts more than 100 cryptocurrencies in addition to fiat currencies.
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Additional reporting by Christine Comben.
