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

Jul 14, 2026

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.

x402 Foundation launch

▪The x402 protocol processed approximately 75 million transactions totaling $24 million over a 30-day period, averaging about $0.32 per payment.
▪The x402 protocol, originally developed by Coinbase, activates the long-reserved HTTP 402 "Payment Required" status code to enable autonomous software to pay for services via standard web requests.
▪The Linux Foundation formally launched the x402 Foundation on July 14, 2026, to standardize internet-native payments for AI agents and applications.

Ripple Premier Membership

▪Ripple joined the newly launched x402 Foundation as a Premier Member on July 14, 2026.
▪The x402 Foundation's 40 founding members include Amazon Web Services, Google, Visa, Mastercard, Stripe, Circle, American Express, Shopify, and Coinbase.

XRP AI agent payments

▪Ripple's integration with the x402 protocol allows AI agents to transact using XRP and its stablecoin, RLUSD, on the XRP Ledger.
▪The XRP Ledger has surpassed one million agentic transactions, supported by tools like the XRPL AI Starter Kit released in June 2026.

RLUSD stablecoin integration

▪The market capitalization of RLUSD fell to approximately $1.52 billion in July 2026, down from a peak of around $1.9 billion in late May 2026.
▪Ripple burned 10 million RLUSD tokens on July 14, 2026, as part of a series of treasury operations that reduced its circulating supply.

XRPL settlement speed advantages

▪The XRP Ledger typically settles transactions in 3 to 5 seconds with minimal fees, aligning with the rapid decision-making cycles of autonomous agents.
▪The XRP Ledger features deterministic finality, predictable transaction costs, native escrow features, multi-signature support, and a built-in decentralized exchange.