A new report from Foresight Ventures says 2026 could mark a major shift for AI-powered commerce. Big companies are moving from experiments to real systems, with focus now on how AI agents handle payments.
Recently, Coinbase, Google, Stripe, and Microsoft have introduced new tools, showing growing belief that current payment systems are not built for AI-driven transactions.
Industry Giants Move as AI Payments Take Shape
The report says agentic commerce is no longer just an idea. Coinbase’s x402 protocol has already processed over 15 million transactions on Base. Google also introduced its Universal Commerce Protocol with support from more than 30 partners.
Stripe, together with Tempo, launched its Machine Payments Protocol on mainnet. At the same time, Microsoft expects AI agents to reach 1.3 billion users by 2028.
These developments point to the same issue.
Current payment systems were built for people, not machines. AI agents need fast approvals, programmable payments, and support for many small transactions, something traditional systems struggle to handle.
AI Commerce Splits Into Two Layer Model
Foresight’s research identifies a clear architectural shift toward a two-layer model.
- The first layer is orchestration, how AI agents find services, make decisions, and start payments.
- The second is settlement, how the money actually moves.
These two layers are being built separately, with different companies leading each one. On the orchestration side, OpenAI, Stripe, and Google are developing their own approaches.
Settlement Becomes the Key Battleground
On the settlement side, the Ethereum Foundation is developing standards like ERC-8183, using smart contracts and escrow for secure AI transactions. The report says settlement will be the key battleground.
Five approaches are competing. Card systems from Stripe, Visa, and Mastercard are live but costly for micro-payments. Stablecoin rails like Coinbase x402 and Circle nanopayments offer near-zero fees, making them better for frequent AI transactions.
According to Foresight Ventures partner Alice Li, the distinction is critical. Card systems work for consumer purchases, but high-frequency AI transactions will require stablecoin rails, as the two are not interchangeable.
Fragmentation Slows Adoption
Despite progress, adoption is still early. Different companies are building separate systems. There is no common standard yet.
Asia-based firms like ByteDance and Alibaba are building closed ecosystems. Western companies are building their own frameworks.
This fragmentation is slowing real-world usage.
Opportunity Lies in Infrastructure
Foresight argues that the biggest opportunity is not in building new front-end platforms, but in solving the infrastructure layer beneath them.
As agent ecosystems grow, developers will need payment systems that can operate across multiple rails, combining card networks with stablecoin settlement in a single integration. This “multi-rail” approach is seen as essential for scaling agent commerce across different platforms and regions.
At the same time, agent-to-agent commerce remains underdeveloped. While the technology exists, most activity is still limited to crypto-native use cases like DeFi and blockchain data services. Expanding into real-world applications such as data analysis or content services is the next major step.
Shift Beyond Traditional Internet Models
The report also points to a broader shift in how digital services may be monetized.
Traditional models like ads and subscriptions depend on human behavior. But AI agents don’t respond to ads or need ongoing access; they just pay for each task they complete.
This could lead to pay-per-use pricing, where services charge per action instead of monthly subscriptions.
The Road Ahead
Foresight expects two paths to develop:
- Consumer payments will likely keep using cards
- AI-to-AI transactions will move toward stablecoins
The big turning point will come when businesses allow AI agents to spend money within set rules and budgets.
When that happens, companies that control how payments are processed, especially across different systems, will be in the strongest position in the future of digital commerce.
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