Google’s AP2 protocol gives AI agents a wallet, and crypto could be its native currency

Google’s AP2 protocol introduced a universal framework in which AI agents can initiate payments in the same way humans do.

The system supports credit cards, bank transfers and crypto rails for stablecoin payments, allowing AI assistants to make expenses with users’ explicit consent.

To achieve this, Google has collaborated with more than sixty major partners. Prominent names include Coinbase, Mastercard, PayPal, MetaMask, Polygon, Adobe, Revolut, Shopify, Intuit and more. The goal is to make AI-driven trading secure, auditable and interoperable between banks and blockchains.

Why is a new protocol needed?

As AI agents begin to perform more hands-on tasks, such as purchasing products, booking travel, or managing budgets, the need grows to ensure that these agents are acting with the appropriate permissions and that sellers can trust their actions.

Most payment systems today rely on a human click on ‘buy’. But in the near future, the AI ​​assistant could make purchases on someone’s behalf. This raises important questions:

• Have you actually approved the purchase?
• Did the AI ​​follow your instructions?
• Who is responsible if something goes wrong?

AP2 answers all these concerns and creates a shared, secure way for agents to handle payments, regardless of which payment method is used.

Related: Cloudflare joins Google and Coinbase in push for AI-ready payments Stablecoin

How it works: Mandates and verifiable references

The protocol uses ‘Mandates’, tamper-resistant digital contracts that prove the user’s intent. For example:

• If you say, “Buy shoes for less than $100,” the AI ​​agent generates an intent mandate.
• Once it finds a pair and shows you the cart, your approval creates a cart mandate.

These steps, along with verifiable credentials, make it easy to keep track of who approved what, so every transaction is authorized, auditable, and secure.

This also works when the user is not present. If you tell an agent, “Buy Taylor Swift tickets when they go on sale,” he can follow that instruction, as long as he follows the mandate’s rules.

Crypto ready: support for stablecoins and Web3

Google built AP2 with crypto in mind. In partnership with Coinbase, MetaMask, the Ethereum Foundation and Polygon, they have launched an extension called A2A x402, which allows agents to make payments using stablecoins and blockchain networks.

This means that in the future, AI agents will be able to send crypto on someone’s behalf, pay for gas costs, or complete smart contract transactions, while still following strict security and authentication rules.

Who is involved?

The list of launch partners is enormous. Some notable names include:

• Crypto & Web3: Coinbase, MetaMask, Polygon, Ethereum Foundation, Crossmint, Mesh, Mysten Labs
• Traditional payments: Mastercard, American Express, JCB, PayPal, Worldpay, Adyen
• Technology and e-commerce: Adobe, Salesforce, Shopify, Dell, ServiceNow, Revolut
• Security & Identity: Okta/Auth0, 1Password, Forter, Gravitee
• Advice: Accenture, PwC, Deloitte

Many of these companies plan to integrate AP2 into their products or build new agent-based services on top of it.

Agentic Commerce and Web3 interoperability

Google sees AP2 as a foundation for a new era of commerce, where AI agents can securely manage purchases, budgets and financial workflows. This can range from purchasing everyday items to automating business purchasing.

Developers and companies can already explore the open-source specs and code on GitHub, and many partners are working on real-world examples.