TLDR Tech / Crypto
Agentic Commerce for Dummies
Two competing agent-native payment protocols, x402 (Coinbase) and MPP (Stripe/Tempo), enable AI agents to pay for API calls per-request without accounts or subscriptions, addressing the core infrastructure gap blocking agentic commerce. Card fee structures (~$0.30 + 2.9% per transaction) render agent microtransactions unviable, which is why both protocols settle in stablecoins on Base, Solana, and Tempo where fees approach zero, enabling cent-level per-use pricing. Discovery layers x402scan and mppscan index participating merchants and live transaction volume, giving agents a directory to find and transact with services on demand. Open USD, backed by Mastercard, Visa, Coinbase, Stripe, and BlackRock among 140+ partners, launched as confirmation that major card networks and asset managers are committing capital to stablecoin payment rails.
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