Cardano joins Solana, XRP Ledger in race to power AI agent payments
Reported by CoinDesk · AI-assisted summary by ChikoCorp AI News Desk
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Summary
Cardano has been added to the official x402 software kit, enabling developers to build apps and AI agents that can pay for online services using ADA or Cardano-issued tokens. The x402 standard facilitates automated pay-per-use transactions within internet requests, removing the need for user accounts, card details, or subscriptions. Cardano’s TypeScript implementation has completed a transaction on a preproduction network but has not yet been tested on mainnet or used for commercial-scale payments.
Why it matters
According to the source, the integration of Cardano into the x402 standard allows AI agents and applications to seamlessly buy online services or data without manual payment steps, potentially simplifying and automating digital transactions. The source does not specifically discuss broader market or policy impacts.
Key context
The x402 standard, created by Coinbase in 2025 and contributed to a Linux Foundation-backed group including Visa, Mastercard, Stripe, Google, and AWS, transforms the web’s “402 Payment Required” response into an embedded checkout mechanism. Cardano's adoption follows prior support from Solana, the XRP Ledger, and several Ethereum-compatible networks. The Cardano Foundation developed client and server software based on the specification accepted in June 2024, initially releasing a TypeScript version with Python support planned.
Key numbers and entities
The entities mentioned include Cardano, ADA (Cardano’s native token), x402 software kit, Coinbase, Linux Foundation, Visa, Mastercard, Stripe, Google, Amazon Web Services, Solana, XRP Ledger, and several Ethereum-compatible networks. There are no specific numerical figures provided beyond the timeline reference to June 2024 and the year 2025 for Coinbase’s creation of x402.
What remains unclear
The source does not clarify when Cardano’s x402 implementation will be launched on mainnet or when commercial-scale payments might begin. It also does not provide details on how widely the technology will be adopted by developers or the potential economic impact on Cardano or the broader ecosystem.