Cryptocurrency exchange OKX has launched an open payments protocol for artificial intelligence agents, joining a growing push by crypto and payments companies to build infrastructure that lets software agents pay for services and transact with less human input.
The new cross-chain Agent Payments Protocol (APP) is designed to let AI agents operate and communicate autonomously. OKX said Wednesday that the cross-chain standard can handle agent-to-agent payments, recurring or top-up payment flows and other automated payment arrangements across business processes. The company also said agents will be able to negotiate with each other, escrow funds and release them on verified task delivery.
OKX said the framework is built around its self-custodial Agentic Wallet and Payment SDK, with support on X Layer and broader cross-chain implementation. The company is pitching the protocol as a way for AI agents to move from simple payment requests to more autonomous commercial activity.
The launch comes as competition intensifies to build payment rails for AI agents. Google has promoted its AP2 protocol, Coinbase has its x402 standard, and Visa and Stripe-linked efforts have also moved into the space, with companies apparently trying to quickly define the rails for machine-to-machine commerce.
Open protocols will be essential for an “AI-native economy” where agents conduct business as “independent economic actors” beyond simple transactions, Star Xu, the founder and CEO of OKX, told Cointelegraph. “Soon, billions of AI agents will operate globally, and they will naturally prefer cryptocurrency wallets over traditional bank accounts. Payments are only one part of the equation.”
APP compared to the existing payment protocols. Source: OKX
OKX targets end-to-end AI agent commerce
OKX is pitching APP as a broader commerce layer rather than a simple payment button.
The company said AI agents can query real-time market data feeds, while the service responds with an HTTP 402 payment request, and agents pay per call with automatic settlement.
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Agents can then hire a specialized sub-agent to complete the research task, APP opens an escrow account, and payment is released upon verification after the work is delivered.
OKX AI agent framework. Source: OKX
Developers can also use OKX’s payment tools on X Layer, where the company says some stablecoin transfers can be executed without gas fees.
The growing race to enable machine payments could also support stablecoin usage, as they can help unlock machine-to-machine payments by making microtransactions viable and enabling programmable, conditional payments between software agents without a human in the loop, Bernstein said in March.
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