XDC AI payments push targets autonomous agents and stablecoin settlement
XDC Network says XDC AI combines x402 and gasless USDC settlement so AI agents can pay for services per request.
By Dev Ramirez · Crypto Correspondent
· 3 min read
XDC AI payments are aimed at a gap in today’s AI boom: assistants can suggest what to do, but usually cannot complete a purchase or settle a transaction on their own. XDC Network says its XDC AI product is built to let AI agents pay for digital services request by request using stablecoins, giving developers a shared payments setup rather than forcing every app to build one from scratch.
An AI agent is software designed to act on a user’s behalf, such as booking a service, calling an API or requesting data. For money to move safely in that setting, XDC Network co-founder Atul Khekade told FintechTV that the industry still needs real-time settlement, compliance, dispute handling, know-your-customer checks and anti-money-laundering controls.
How does XDC AI let AI agents pay?
XDC AI uses x402, an open payment standard introduced by Coinbase in 2025. The standard is based on the long-unused HTTP “402 Payment Required” status code, which was reserved in the 1990s for online payments.
Under an x402 flow, a server can ask for payment when a client requests a data feed, API call or other service. The client, which could be an autonomous AI agent, can settle that charge during the same request using stablecoins, without a traditional account, API key or manual human approval, according to XDC Network.
XDC AI pairs that standard with “gasless” USDC settlement. USDC is a dollar-linked stablecoin, meaning it is designed to track the value of the U.S. dollar. “Gasless” means the user is not directly paying the blockchain network fee each time the transaction runs, a detail XDC says is meant to make small, per-request payments practical.
Ritesh Kakkad, XDC Network’s co-founder, said in a LinkedIn post that the system is intended to support AI agents that can pay for API calls, book services and settle trades in real time at sub-cent fees. The company describes XDC AI as marketplace infrastructure where businesses can connect services that agents may use and pay for.
Why XDC is tying AI agents to stablecoins
XDC Network launched in 2019 through XinFin and was co-founded by Khekade and Kakkad. The network is an EVM-compatible Layer-1, meaning it is a base blockchain that can run applications built for the Ethereum Virtual Machine, the software environment used by many Ethereum-style smart contracts.
The company has focused on trade finance, payments and real-world asset tokenization. XDC Network also says it is aligned with ISO 20022, the messaging standard used in traditional banking systems.
XDC Tech, the U.S.-based institutional arm of XDC Network, has integrated Bridge, a Stripe company, into its agentic AI plans. XDC says Bridge brings stablecoin settlement infrastructure to the roadmap and helps support the company’s goal of becoming a settlement layer for AI-driven commerce.
Khekade said the Bridge partnership gives the XDC ecosystem stablecoin infrastructure suited for a market where software can start payments, not only people. XDC Network recently demonstrated the XDC AI marketplace at its New York office, where Khekade said more than 100 representatives from banks, tech partners, venture capital firms, family offices, AI firms and ecosystem builders attended.
This story draws on original reporting from Decrypt.
