Cardano has begun integrating the innovative x402 standard, which enables autonomous artificial intelligence agents to conduct transactions on the blockchain without human intervention.
This is reported by Business • Media
New Opportunities for AI and DeFi on Cardano
The integration of the x402 payment protocol, developed by the Masumi team, aims to automate transactions on the Cardano blockchain. This solution will allow autonomous AI agents to independently pay for resources and services via API, utilize native ADA and USDM coins for transactions, and interact with each other without intermediaries.
The x402 standard, initiated by the crypto platform Coinbase and developed in partnership with participants in the Web ecosystem, revives the idea of micropayments over the internet and allows bots to make payments on the blockchain in a fully automated manner.
“This is very important for Cardano,” said blockchain co-founder Charles Hoskinson in a post on X.
Masumi adds a layer of trust to x402: identity, reputation, transparent auditing, and refund mechanisms. This enables Cardano to become the financial foundation for an “agent economy”—a market where autonomous systems can trade and interact with one another.
Innovations for DeFi and Ecosystem Development Prospects
The first Proof-of-Concept has already been implemented: users can create a test meme coin by paying 2 USDM and a small amount of ADA. Masumi notes that the implementation of x402 paves the way for automating DeFi protocols—from token swaps to lending and staking—without the need for direct user interaction with smart contracts.
Despite these technological advancements, the on-chain market of Cardano currently lags significantly behind. According to recent data, the market capitalization of the Cardano blockchain stands at $23.6 billion, with total locked liquidity in DeFi at $286.6 million, and the stablecoin market volume at $36.2 million. In comparison, Ethereum and Tron have $163 billion and $79 billion in stablecoins, respectively.
Charles Hoskinson has repeatedly criticized the Cardano Foundation for the slow development of the DeFi ecosystem, despite significant expenditures on promotion, including $15 million in 2024 and sponsorship of FC Barcelona. In October 2025, the Cardano community separately approved an investment of over $33 million in ADA to enhance stablecoin liquidity in the DeFi segment.
The Masumi team is already testing the x402 standard on smart contracts and encourages users to try out the demo version to refine the mechanics.
The integration of x402 is part of a new roadmap for the Cardano Foundation. The document outlines plans to implement standards CIP-0113 and CIP-0143, adapt a new payment framework, expand support for startups in DeFi and Web3, and increase the marketing budget by 12% in 2026.