Shopify is set to introduce stablecoin payments for its merchants, starting with a select group by late June, and expanding further in the U.S. and Europe. This initiative, developed in collaboration with Coinbase and Stripe, highlights the growing interest in stablecoins among major tech firms. The move is seen as a significant step in the evolving landscape of crypto payments.

Coinbase is positioning itself as a competitor to Visa and Mastercard by introducing the Commerce Payments Protocol, which allows stablecoins to be used for everyday commerce. This new protocol not only mimics key card features but also fosters an ecosystem for stablecoin adoption, potentially accelerating its mainstream use in payments.

Google has partnered with Coinbase and the Ethereum Foundation to enhance its open-source AI protocol, allowing AI applications to process payments using stablecoins. This initiative aims to merge AI with digital finance, responding to the rising adoption of stablecoins, which have seen significant growth in circulation this year.

Coinbase has introduced the x402 protocol, transforming the long-unused HTTP 402 status code into a payment layer that enables AI agents to autonomously process payments without human intervention. This innovation facilitates a more efficient system for digital transactions, allowing servers to request payments and clients, including AI agents, to respond using stablecoins like USDC. Other major companies like Visa and PayPal are also exploring similar autonomous payment solutions for AI-driven commerce.