Google has a new open-source protocol designed to allow AI agents to send and receive payments, a landmark move that directly integrates both traditional financial rails and cryptocurrency. The initiative, teased on Tuesday, September 16, 2025, was developed in partnership with a coalition of over 60 major companies, including Salesforce, American Express, and Coinbase. The protocol will explicitly support stablecoin payments, with the crypto functionality developed in collaboration with Coinbase, signaling a major step by Google AI to build the foundational infrastructure for an AI-driven economy.

• One of the world's largest tech companies is building the payment rails for an economy run by artificial intelligence.
• Discover the "dual-rail" approach that aims to connect AI to both traditional finance and the world of crypto.
• Learn about the massive coalition of over 60 corporate giants collaborating on this open standard.

The launch of this new protocol addresses a critical limitation that has, until now, confined AI agents to the world of finances. While AI has become exceptionally skilled at processing data, communicating, and planning complex tasks, it has lacked the native ability to act economically—to pay for the data, services, or resources needed to execute its plans. This initiative by Google AI is a foundational step to move artificial intelligence from a passive tool for "talking" into an active participant capable of "doing," by providing a standardized way for it to transact value on the web.

A crucial aspect of this project is its nature as an open-source protocol. Rather than creating a proprietary "Google Pay for AI," Google is fostering a universal standard that any company can adopt and build upon. This collaborative approach is underscored by the vast and diverse coalition of over 60 partners, which includes technology leaders like Salesforce and SAP, financial incumbents like American Express, and major consulting firms. By making the standard open, Google aims to prevent fragmentation and create a common language for value exchange that can be used by all AI agents, regardless of who built them.

The protocol itself takes a "dual-rail" approach to payments, a detail confirmed by James Tromans, head of Web3 at Google Cloud. It is designed to support both "existing payment rail capabilities as well as forthcoming capabilities such as stablecoins." This means an AI agent could use the protocol to execute a transaction via a traditional partner like American Express or, just as easily, conduct on-chain stablecoin payments. This flexibility is key to driving broad adoption, as it bridges the established world of traditional finance with the emerging infrastructure of the crypto economy.

The on-chain functionality was developed in close collaboration with Coinbase, a partnership that aligns with both companies' recent moves in the space. This protocol from Google AI provides the standard, while tools like the recently announced Coinbase Payments MCP provide the implementation, giving agents a direct link to a regulated exchange's wallet and on-ramp services. This symbiotic relationship between a protocol designer and an infrastructure provider is a powerful signal to the market that the era of agent-based finance is being built with serious, institutional backing.

The specific inclusion of stablecoin payments is a nod to their unique suitability for an automated, machine-to-machine economy. Stablecoins are programmable, operate 24/7 on global blockchains, and are ideal for the kind of low-cost micropayments that AI agents would need to perform tasks. The regulatory environment for these assets is also maturing, with new compliant tokens, such as the recently announced Tether USAT built to GENIUS Act standards, emerging as ideal candidates to serve as the trusted on-chain currency for this new economy.

This initiative is part of a broader industry push to solve the problem of machine-to-machine value transfer. Google's protocol, which builds on its Agent2Agent information exchange framework, is one of several competing or complementary ideas. The Ethereum Foundation, for instance, has explored using the long-dormant HTTP 402 "payment required" status code, a concept that underpins the x402 protocol and its associated Bazaar for service discovery. While the approaches differ, they share a common goal: building the foundational plumbing for a world where AI can autonomously participate in commerce. As Galaxy Digital CEO Mike Novogratz recently predicted, AI agents may soon become the "biggest user of stablecoins," and this move by Google is a major step in building the rails to make that prediction a reality.

Expert Opinion And Quotes

Erik Reppel, Coinbase Engineer: “We’re all working to figure out how to make AI transmit value to each other” - Source

James Tromans, head of Web3 at Google Cloud, confirmed the rollout, telling Fortune that the protocol was designed to support both “existing payment rail capabilities as well as forthcoming capabilities such as stablecoins.” - Source

FAQs

What did Google announce?
Google AI unveiled a new open-source protocol, developed with over 60 partners, that creates a standard for AI agents to make payments using both traditional financial rails and on-chain stablecoin payments.

Who are the key partners in this initiative?
The project was launched with a large coalition of companies, including Salesforce, American Express, and SAP. The stablecoin functionality was developed in direct collaboration with the cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase.

What problem does this protocol solve for AI agents?
It gives AI agents the ability to transact economically, moving them beyond simple information processing. It allows them to autonomously pay for the data, APIs, and services they need to complete complex tasks without human intervention.

Why is it significant that this is an open-source protocol?
By making it an open-source protocol, Google is aiming to create a universal standard for all developers and companies to use, rather than a proprietary, closed system. This encourages wider adoption and prevents market fragmentation.