​Stablecoins, Agents & The Future of Commerce

​2025 was the year Stablecoins took web3 into the mainstream. We now have established stablecoins such as USDC and Tether but new entrants from companies like Paypal, Société Générale and even the State of Wyoming. Stripe acquired Bridge and partnered to build Tempo - their L1 Blockchain. 2026 is when stablecoins become part of the traditional financial system.

And then there are agents. Shopify and Google have recently launched the Universal Comerce Protocol (UCP). OpenAI released instant checkout.

​The future of commerce is becoming tied to both agents and stablecoins.

​But really, what does any of that mean????

Join Evan from Coinbase and Ian from Ormeau Labs who invite guests to unpick the future of commerce, agents and stablecoins.

​This event is being run in partnership with NI-Blockchain on the eve of their summit in Queens University Belfast and is part of the new Ormeau Labs and QUB partnership launching Techstars in Northern Ireland.

​It will be relaxed. It will be accessible. We will cut through the acronyms and language that makes this difficult for the average user to understand.

So come along and learn about the future of commerce and what is possible.

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​Who we are

​What is Base?
Base, the everything app by Coinbase, is designed to give everyone easier access to the web3 ecosystem—combining social features, wallets, payments, and more into a seamless experience that we are all familiar with. At its core, Base is a fast, low-cost onchain developer platform built as a Layer 2 solution on Ethereum. Base provides developers with the infrastructure and tooling to build apps while plugging directly into the new open financial economy. By lowering the barriers to entry—both for founders and everyday users—Base aims to bring the next billion people onchain. Whether you're sending payments, connecting with communities, or exploring decentralized apps, Base serves as a unified gateway to participate in the onchain economy.

​What is Ormeau Labs?
An independent and privately funded entrepreneurial hub who prides itself on being part of a wider network of investors, founders and co-working spaces across Ireland and the UK. We help founders with programmes such as Founder Labs, Regional Talent Engines and most recently the Techstars Community Partnership.

What is NI-Blockchain?
It exists to connect students, founders, industry and investors into one coordinated, chain-neutral ecosystem - bridging academia with real-world Web3 opportunities and building a permanent community on the ground in Northern Ireland.