Linux Foundation launches x402 Foundation with Visa, Mastercard, and Ripple to standardize AI agent payments

The Linux Foundation has launched the x402 Foundation to standardize internet-native payments for AI agents, reviving the long-dormant HTTP 402 status code. Backed by 40 organizations including Visa, Mastercard, Google, and Coinbase, the initiative aims to enable seamless machine-to-machine transactions. Ripple joined as a Premier Member on July 14, 2026, integrating XRP and its RLUSD stablecoin into the protocol. While the broader x402 market is currently dominated by USDC, Ripple leverages the XRP Ledger's 3-to-5-second settlement speeds to capture market share.