CoinDesk
Mastercard has unveiled Agent Pay for Machines (AP4M), a platform enabling AI agents and software systems to execute secure, automated payments across cards, bank accounts and stablecoins. More than 30 companies — including Coinbase, Stripe, Adyen, Cloudflare, RippleX, Polygon Labs, Solana Foundation and OKX — have already joined the initiative, with agent credentials initially recorded on the Polygon, Solana and Base blockchains.
Why it matters
Agentic commerce — where AI systems complete tasks, purchase services and coordinate transactions autonomously on behalf of users — could involve trillions of dollars in transactions by the end of the decade. Mastercard's AP4M directly targets the trust gap that stands between today's nascent machine-to-machine activity and that scale: authenticating agents, enforcing spending limits and guaranteeing settlement across multiple payment rails. Raj Dhamodharan, Mastercard's EVP of blockchain and digital asset products, pointed to rising HTTP 402 payment failures as a leading indicator that demand is already outpacing infrastructure. "There are already transactions happening," he said. "There are already many declines happening because there is no payment option available."
Market impact
For crypto markets, the integration of Polygon, Solana and Base as the initial credentialing layers is a meaningful institutional endorsement of those networks as settlement infrastructure. Coinbase's participation links AP4M directly to the Base ecosystem and COIN's broader institutional strategy. Mastercard plans to expand AP4M access later this year, which sets a near-term catalyst for further partner announcements and on-chain activity across the three named chains.
Frequently asked questions
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Which blockchains will Mastercard use to record AI agent credentials for AP4M?
Mastercard will initially record agent permissions and credentials on the Polygon, Solana and Base blockchains, with plans to expand access to additional networks later in 2025.
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What specific problem does AP4M solve that is already causing failed transactions?
Rising HTTP 402 payment failures — where AI agents attempt automated transactions but are declined because no payment method is available — are the leading indicator Mastercard cited as evidence of immediate demand for the platform.
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How does Mastercard plan to ensure AI agents stay within authorized spending limits?
AP4M uses a credentialing and permissioning layer that authenticates agents, enforces pre-set spending rules and guarantees settlement across cards, bank accounts and stablecoins through Mastercard's existing network infrastructure.
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