Google announces AI payments protocol with stablecoin support: Reports
The open-source framework, built with Coinbase and Salesforce, reportedly aims to enable seamless agent-to-agent transactions across AI apps
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Google has released a new open-source payments protocol designed to let AI applications transfer money between each other, including through stablecoins, according to a report by Fortune on Tuesday.
The framework, which extends Google’s earlier standard for AI agent communication, supports both traditional methods like credit cards and emerging digital assets pegged to the US dollar. James Tromans, head of Web3 at Google Cloud, told Fortune that the system was built to integrate legacy payment rails alongside future-facing technologies such as stablecoins.
To develop stablecoin compatibility, Google collaborated with Coinbase, which has been building its own AI and crypto payments scheme, as well as the Ethereum Foundation and other industry players.
More than 60 organizations — including Salesforce, American Express, and Etsy — contributed to the broader initiative. Coinbase’s Erik Reppel noted that the companies ensured interoperability between their systems to enable smooth agent-to-agent value transfer.
The move underlines Google’s growing public stance on stablecoins, an area that has attracted attention from firms like Apple, Meta and Shopify. The adoption of lower-volatility blockchain assets marks a broader shift toward AI-driven commerce, where digital agents may negotiate payments and fees without direct human involvement.
While the protocol could lower frictions in AI-to-AI payments, risks remain around security, regulation, and unintended transfers. Stablecoins have been a flashpoint for U.S. regulators, though the landscape is shifting.
In April 2025, the SEC clarified that fully backed, redeemable stablecoins generally fall outside securities laws, and Congress passed the GENIUS Act in July to establish reserve and audit standards.
Against this backdrop, Google’s framework positions it as one of the first Big Tech firms to openly integrate stablecoins into core infrastructure, while peers like Apple and Meta have moved more cautiously.
This is a developing story.
This article was generated with the assistance of AI and reviewed by editor Jeffrey Albus before publication.
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