Foundation Launched to Standardize AI Payments
The new body, which will steward the x402 payments protocol, is backed by 40 members including Visa, Mastercard, Google and Microsoft.
Newsletter Sign-Up
Generative AI
SAP Plans to Turn Spreadsheet AI Startup Into Top Frontier LabSAP Plans to Turn Spreadsheet AI Startup Into Top Frontier Lab
byGraham Hope
Sponsored Content
Why Enterprise AI Stalls Before It ScalesWhy Enterprise AI Stalls Before It Scales
byLuke Norris
Generative AI
New Dashboard Tool Lets You Monitor Claude UsageNew Dashboard Tool Lets You Monitor Claude Usage
byGraham Hope
Generative AI
SpaceX Aims at Agentic Coding With $60B Cursor AcquisitionSpaceX Aims at Agentic Coding With $60B Cursor Acquisition
byEsther Shittu
Generative AI
Startup Raises $50 Million to Develop Sovereign AI InfrastructureStartup Raises $50 Million to Develop Sovereign AI Infrastructure
byGraham Hope
Data Centers
Taiwan’s Second-Largest Chipmaker Hits Photonics Production MilestoneTaiwan’s Second-Largest Chipmaker Hits Photonics Production Milestone
byScarlett Evans
Agentic AI
Moving Enterprise AI From Pilots to PayoffMoving Enterprise AI From Pilots to Payoff
byScarlett Evans
Agentic AI
Using AI Agents to Collaborate with Human WorkersUsing AI Agents to Collaborate with Human Workers
byEsther Shittu,Shaun Sutner
Generative AI
Mistral AI Unveils Vision Model for Robot NavigationMistral AI Unveils Vision Model for Robot Navigation
byScarlett Evans
Robotics
Chinese Tech Vendors Converge on Humanoid Robotics and Embodied AIChinese Tech Vendors Converge on Humanoid Robotics and Embodied AI
byScarlett Evans
Generative AI
Startup Raises $50 Million to Develop Sovereign AI InfrastructureStartup Raises $50 Million to Develop Sovereign AI Infrastructure
byGraham Hope
Generative AI
How Enterprises Should Respond to Economists’ AI Risk LetterHow Enterprises Should Respond to Economists’ AI Risk Letter
byEsther Shittu
Agentic AI
Foundation Launched to Standardize AI PaymentsFoundation Launched to Standardize AI Payments
byGraham Hope
Generative AI
Startup Raises $50 Million to Develop Sovereign AI InfrastructureStartup Raises $50 Million to Develop Sovereign AI Infrastructure
byGraham Hope
Graham Hope,Contributing Writer
July 16, 2026
2 Min Read
Infinite Creations via Getty Images
The Linux Foundation has confirmed the official operational launch of the x402 Foundation, an open governance body created to help standardize internet-native payments for AI agents and applications.
The x402 Foundation consists of 40 members and will provide stewardship for the x402 protocol, the universal standard that embeds secure payments into web interactions.
The launch constitutes a significant step in enabling AI agents to "send and receive payments as seamlessly as they exchange data," according to the Linux Foundation.
A host of payment types will be supported, from traditional cards to stablecoins.
The launch of the new body is seen by many in the industry as an important development, with agents increasingly likely to be entrusted by individuals and organizations to make payments in the years ahead.
The creation of the x402 Foundation was first announced in April, when it was confirmed that responsibility for the protocol, originally developed by Coinbase, would move to the new group.
Related:Perplexity AI Introduces Space Sandbox for Agents
Participants included members from finance, payments, e-commerce and cloud sectors, including AWS, American Express, Cloudflare, Google, Mastercard, Microsoft, Shopify and Visa. Since then, the group has expanded further, with an additional 18 organizations signing up.
Collectively, they will take responsibility for the evolution of the protocol, working in collaboration to shape its development, with the overriding goal of ensuring payments are secure and adaptable, with multiple methods supported and no vendor lock-in.
"AI agents and automated systems are becoming active participants in the global economy, yet they have lacked a native, secure way to transact," Jim Zemlin, CEO of the Linux Foundation, said in a statement. "The operational launch of the x402 Foundation marks a vital milestone in establishing an open, community-governed standard for payments over HTTP."
The value of interoperability was also underscored by one of the biggest names to commit, Visa.
"Commerce will not run on a single agent, protocol, or payment method," said Rubail Birwadker, senior vice president and global head of growth at Visa, in a statement. "By supporting the x402 Foundation, Visa is helping advance an ecosystem where agents can transact securely across platforms, networks, and payment types."
About the Author
See more from Graham Hope
Generative AI
Startup Raises $50 Million to Develop Sovereign AI InfrastructureStartup Raises $50 Million to Develop Sovereign AI Infrastructure
byGraham Hope
Generative AI
Startup Raises $50 Million to Develop Sovereign AI Infrastructure
Startup Raises $50 Million to Develop Sovereign AI Infrastructure
Jul 15, 2026
Agentic AI
Perplexity AI Introduces Space Sandbox for Agents
Perplexity AI Introduces Space Sandbox for Agents
Jul 15, 2026
Latest podcasts
Agentic AI
Using AI Agents to Collaborate with Human Workers
Jul 10, 2026
Generative AI
How SMBs Can Take Advantage of Generative AI
Jun 29, 2026
Generative AI
Rebellions Aims to Take on Nvidia in AI Inference Chip Battle
Jun 15, 2026
Generative AI
Navigating the Future of Work with AI
Jun 1, 2026
See all
Read More