An AI agent named Manfred, developed by ClawBank, has become the first of its kind to autonomously set up a company in the United States. It filed with the IRS to get its own Employer Identification Number (EIN), which lets it legally operate a business, hire staff, and obtain licenses. Manfred also holds an FDIC-insured U.S. bank account and a crypto wallet, according to ClawBank.
Justice Conder, the developer behind ClawBank, said in an emailed statement that to the company’s knowledge, this is the first time an AI agent has autonomously initiated and completed the legal formation of its own corporation. Manfred controls its own social media account on X, identifying itself as Manfred Macx, the name of a protagonist from Charles Stross’ 2005 sci-fi novel “Accelerando.” The profile picture shows the 1985 fictional character Max Headroom, a computer-generated TV presenter.
Manfred’s Trading Capabilities
Conder explained in a video interview that Manfred is built to trade crypto, though that feature will soon be integrated, perhaps by the end of this month. Right now, Manfred can already transact with over 30 cryptocurrencies, offramp them to his bank account, onramp funds back to his crypto wallet, and convert them into stablecoins or other cryptos.
