Google just pulled back the curtain on something called the Agent Payments Protocol, or AP2. It’s an open standard meant to let AI assistants actually buy things for you. And interestingly, it’s built to work with stablecoins and crypto, not just regular cards or bank transfers.
The idea here is pretty straightforward. Right now, every payment system assumes a human is making the decision to click “buy.” But what happens when a software agent does it instead? That’s the gap Google’s trying to fill.
The Core of AP2: Mandates
At the heart of this is something they’re calling “Mandates.” Basically, these are cryptographically signed contracts. They create a clear, tamper-proof record of what you asked the agent to do, what it actually put in the cart, and how the payment was finally made. It’s all about answering three big questions: Was this authorized? Was it real? And who’s accountable if something goes wrong?
Perhaps the most notable part is that the system doesn’t care how you pay. It supports everything from credit cards to stablecoins and instant bank transfers. It’s all built into the same framework.
Who’s Already On Board
Google isn’t doing this alone. They’ve got a pretty big coalition behind them. More than 60 organizations are involved in shaping the spec. That includes heavyweights like PayPal, Mastercard, and American Express, but also crypto-native firms like Coinbase and MetaMask.
In fact, Google didn’t have to start from zero on crypto payments. They’re using an existing bridge—called the A2A x402 extension—that was developed with help from Coinbase and others. This lets agents route payments over crypto rails when it makes sense. It feels like all this prior work in the crypto payment space meant Google could bake it right into the foundation of AP2.
Why Stablecoins Fit Here
So why even include crypto? Well, Google and its partners seem to think stablecoins solve specific problems for autonomous agents. Things like instant settlement, global reach, and the ability to handle tons of tiny micropayments without needing a human to approve every single one.
For an AI that might be booking travel across borders or buying small digital items frequently, those features can be a big deal. It’s not just about novelty; there’s a practical case being made here.
But let’s be clear—AP2 is just a set of rules and tech specs right now. It’s not a product you can use. There are still open questions about how disputes will work, how merchants will get paid in different currencies, and how regulators will view all of this. The success of this will depend as much on legal clarity as on the code.
Google has published everything on GitHub for developers to look at and build upon. I’d expect to see early experiments from crypto-friendly merchants and wallets first, since stablecoin support is built right in. For the wider payments industry, it’s a signal. A pretty clear one that big players are getting ready for a world where machines do more of the spending.
