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Google has partnered with Coinbase to let AI applications send and receive money using stablecoins through a new open protocol called Agent Payments Protocol, or AP2. The launch brings more than sixty partners into the same effort, including the Ethereum Foundation, Salesforce, American Express and others. The goal is simple. Give AI agents a common way to move funds that works across crypto and traditional rails.
AP2 is open source and focuses on payments, consent and auditability. Coinbase contributed an integration called x402 that allows agents to pay each other with stablecoins at machine speed. That design targets use cases like micropayments, subscriptions and automated purchasing where legacy systems struggle. Google’s technical brief also links AP2 to other open agent standards such as A2A and MCP so developers can plug it into existing stacks.
The timing reflects fast growth in dollar-pegged tokens. Stablecoins in circulation recently climbed to roughly 289 billion dollars, up from about 205 billion at the start of the year. Advocates say that pool of liquidity and 24 by 7 settlement make stablecoins a natural fit for software agents that need to pay on demand.
Trust is the adoption hurdle. Google says AP2 is built to prove user intent for each transaction and to keep a verifiable trail so buyers and sellers can resolve disputes. Reporting on the rollout highlights the need for clear permissions and user-approved mandates before an agent can complete a purchase. The idea is to make automated payments feel as controlled as a card checkout, only faster and programmable.
If the ecosystem delivers on that promise, AI apps could handle everything from topping up cloud credits to paying creators in small increments without human handoffs. The next milestones to watch are pilot programs from the partner list and more wallets and processors adding AP2 support alongside standard payment methods.
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