AI Agents Pay for APIs with Stablecoins: Solana and Google Launch Pay.sh

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Stablecoins enter AI payments as Solana and Google launch Pay.sh

Solana Foundation and Google Cloud have teamed up to create Pay.sh, a new system that allows AI programs to automatically pay for access to online services, like APIs, using stablecoins. Essentially, AI agents can now pay-as-they-go for the tools they need.

Summary

  • Pay.sh lets AI agents pay for Google Cloud services and APIs using stablecoins on Solana.
  • The service supports per-request payments, helping agents avoid subscriptions, accounts, and minimum spending limits.
  • Solana joins Coinbase, Google, Stripe, and MoonPay in building payment rails for AI agents.

This service lets users pay for Google Cloud tools and other APIs using Solana wallets, eliminating the need for traditional accounts, API keys, or subscriptions. According to Solana, Pay.sh works with Google Cloud APIs like Gemini, BigQuery, and Vertex AI, among others.

Pay.sh allows AI programs to find and use online services, compare costs, and make payments using digital currencies on the Solana network. It’s designed to handle even very small transactions, like tiny fractions of a penny for each request.

This system allows developers to charge for each individual API request, rather than requiring monthly subscriptions. It also enables AI programs to access only the specific services they require, and only when they need them.

Solana explained that the service uses a connection point on Google Cloud. This allows users to connect to various services, utilizing a Solana wallet for both payment and verification.

This system works with Google Cloud services and over 50 different APIs created by the developer community. These include things like blockchain information, cloud-based tools, artificial intelligence services, and APIs for developers.

x402 and MPP support the payment flow

As a researcher, I’ve been looking into Pay.sh, and what’s really interesting is its use of the x402 payment standard. It originally started at Coinbase and is now managed by the Linux Foundation. Essentially, x402 leverages the HTTP 402 ‘Payment Required’ status code, allowing applications and AI agents to make payments directly within web requests – it’s a pretty innovative approach.

Recently, x402 became part of the Linux Foundation, supported by companies like Google, Stripe, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Visa, and Mastercard. According to reports, this new standard is designed to make online payments work seamlessly with artificial intelligence, eliminating the need for separate payment processes.

Pay.sh works with the Machine Payments Protocol, created by Tempo and Stripe. This provides an additional way for automated systems to make payments, which is helpful as developers build and test new AI-powered shopping experiences.

This new integration brings Solana into the increasingly competitive landscape of stablecoin networks used by automated software. Solana’s appeal lies in its low transaction costs and quick processing speeds, making it ideal for handling small digital payments through APIs.

Coinbase and Google push AI payment standards

The launch of Pay.sh comes after Coinbase began exploring AI-powered payments. As crypto.news previously reported, Coinbase introduced Agentic.market, a platform where AI agents can purchase services with USDC via x402.

The report indicated that x402 has processed around 165 million transactions through over 480,000 users. The majority of these transactions occurred on Base, a network built on top of Ethereum by Coinbase.

Google is building the technology for AI to make payments, and it’s called the Agent Payments Protocol. Reports initially stated Google introduced AP2 with a feature for cryptocurrency, created in collaboration with Coinbase, the Ethereum Foundation, and MetaMask.

The system confirms user consent for payments made by AI assistants using secure payment instructions. Now, Pay.sh is bringing a similar concept to API access, enabling payments using Solana’s stablecoin.

Stablecoin payments race expands

This launch follows a growing trend of crypto and payment companies creating tools for AI assistants. MoonPay is also involved, offering features that allow AI agents to connect to digital wallets and use stablecoins.

A new report highlighted MoonPay’s launch of the MoonAgents Card, a virtual Mastercard that lets users spend stablecoins – cryptocurrencies linked to AI – directly from their digital wallets.

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2026-05-06 11:26