The Game Changed by AI Agent Payments, Why Stablecoins Must Become Infrastructure | Seo Dong-ju, Kim Dong-hwan, Kim Jun-woo Xangle CEO [Crypto PLUS]

Summary

Xangle CEO Kim Jun-woo explains why AI agents will shift from information retrieval to execution, creating a need for new payment rails. Traditional card networks cannot handle the micro-transactions and high frequency required, so stablecoins and blockchain networks like Solana and Polygon will become essential infrastructure. A standardization war is brewing among Coinbase, Mastercard, and Google, presenting long-term investment opportunities in crypto tokens and stocks.

• AI agents will move from search to execution, performing tasks like booking flights and ordering products directly.
• Existing payment systems (Visa, Mastercard) are not built for the high-frequency, fragmented transactions AI agents require.
• Stablecoins via blockchains are the only feasible way to enable AI-to-AI micro-payments at scale.
• Mastercard, Coinbase, and Google are already competing to set the AI agent payment standard, with Coinbase's X40 currently leading in usage.
• High-throughput chains like Solana and Polygon, along with Coinbase's Base, are well-positioned to process this volume.
• Circle (USDC) is named as the largest beneficiary, though it is not directly investable.
• The speaker expects meaningful standardization and adoption within three years, with initial moves starting in one year.