Mastercard Launches AI Agent Payment Protocol with Blockchain-Based Permissions
Mastercard announced a new protocol called Agent Pay for Machines that enables AI agents to pay each other and conduct micropayments, with permissions stored on the Polygon blockchain. The initiative involves partnerships with fintech companies Adyen, Coinbase, and Cloudflare, and reflects broader industry movement toward agentic finance. While current agentic payment volumes remain small, major financial companies view this as a significant emerging market over the next five years.
Mastercard has launched Agent Pay for Machines, a protocol designed to facilitate payments between AI agents and enable smaller money transfers for tasks like accessing data from websites. The system stores human-granted permissions on the Polygon blockchain network rather than private databases, allowing multiple parties to verify that AI agents are operating within their authorized parameters. The initiative is being developed in collaboration with Adyen, Coinbase, and Cloudflare. While Mastercard's chief product officer acknowledged this won't be a major revenue driver immediately, he expects it to become a meaningful market within five years. The move reflects broader industry trends, with competitors like Visa, Stripe, and Google also developing AI payment infrastructure, though agentic payment volumes currently represent only a small fraction of overall commercial transactions.
What different sources said
- FortuneCenter
Exclusive: Mastercard launches protocol to let AI agents pay each other, send micropayments
Related
Cannabis Shop Owner Faces Lawsuit Over Alleged Misuse of $1.5 Million Business Loan
Jennifer Tzar, owner of a SoHo cannabis dispensary, is being sued by her lender Fire Escape for allegedly misusing $230,000 of a $1.5 million business loan on personal expenses, including travel, meals, and payments to friends and family. Tzar denies the allegations as part of a hostile takeover attempt and has filed her own lawsuit claiming conflicts of interest involving the lender's attorney. The case involves disputes over loan fund usage, workplace conduct allegations, and questions about the legitimacy of the lender's takeover bid.
Nova Scotia Workers' Compensation Board Cuts Rates 15% for First Time in 40 Years
The Workers' Compensation Board of Nova Scotia announced a 15% rate reduction, lowering the average employer rate to $2.25 per $100 of assessable payroll for the first time in over 40 years. The cut is driven by record-low workplace injury rates and improved financial health, with the WCB now 117% funded compared to 27% in the early 1990s. The reduction will return approximately $75 million to the economy and includes indexing worker benefits to inflation.
Goldman Sachs Chief of Staff Russell Horwitz Departing Amid Internal Tensions Over CEO's Support for Epstein-Linked Lawyer
Russell Horwitz, Goldman Sachs' chief of staff, is leaving the firm at the end of June after privately opposing CEO David Solomon's decision to retain lawyer Kathy Ruemmler despite her revealed ties to Jeffrey Epstein. Ruemmler resigned as general counsel in February following the release of Epstein-related emails, but Solomon asked her to stay on as an adviser. Horwitz's departure highlights internal discord at the bank over Solomon's handling of the controversy, with Democratic lawmakers also questioning the CEO's judgment.