Author: Jacob Zhao @IOSG In our previous Crypto AI series research reports, we consistently emphasized the following point: the most practically valuable scenarios in the current crypto space are mainly focused on stablecoin payments and DeFi, while Agents are the key interface between AI industry and users. Therefore, within the trend of integrating Crypto and AI, the two most valuable paths are: in the short term, AgentFi based on existing mature DeFi protocols (such as lending, liquidity mining, and other basic strategies, as well as advanced strategies like Swap, Pendle PT, and funding rate arbitrage), and in the medium to long term, Agents centered around stablecoin settlement, relying on protocols like ACP/AP2/x402/ERC-8004.

PayPal invests nearly $200 million to acquire AI business platform Cymbio, entering the "Agentic Commerce" track. As Google + Shopify (UCP), OpenAI + Stripe (ACP), and PayPal compete fiercely, cryptocurrency payments are almost entirely absent from the three major protocols—are they being overlooked or deliberately excluded? This article is based on LUKE SPILL's piece "AI: PayPal’s $200M Wake-Up Call in AI Commerce," translated and written by Dynamic Zone. (Previous context: Stripe announced over 40 new upgrades, collaborating with OpenAI to release the ACP protocol) (Additional background: Google

Author: Charlie Liu If you follow fintech, crypto, or AI circles, you must have been flooded with the term "x402." A number of internet giants are stepping into the agentic payments track: Coinbase and Cloudflare jointly launched the x402 Open Foundation, Google integrated encryption extensions into its AP2 standard, and even the usually steady Adyen rolled up its sleeves to join the game. Visa's TAP promises to achieve interoperability, while Stripe and OpenAI have teamed up to make ACP and "instant checkout" industry standards. An almost forgotten internet status code—402 "Payment Required"—has surprisingly become a key factor in determining the next generation of AI agent business models. In fact, this undercurrent has been brewing within the payments industry for over half a year.

This article discusses how Virtuals integrate encryption technology, artificial intelligence, and Bots technology to create a proxy-based economic system, innovating productivity and collaboration models. With the launch of the ACP protocol, Butler trading assistant, and Unicorn activation platform, collaboration between humans, AI, and Bots has been realized, forming a prototype of a new economic model. This symbiotic relationship of technology offers limitless possibilities for the future of business management and production methods.

Author: Delphi Digital Compiled by: Felix, PANews (with some edits) The battle of AI models is intensifying. Every company is striving to make their large language models (LLMs) the next dominant player. But the key issue is no longer which company's model technology is superior, but how to leverage these models to drive meaningful and tangible impact. The answer lies in autonomous, specialized AI affiliates. OpenAI's release of ChatGPT Affiliate is an early sign that the affiliate economy is entering a mature initial stage. Currently, most affiliates are still single-purpose tools, but we will soon see them forming interconnected clusters to enable complex collaboration. In the encryption field, during the 2024 AI affiliate token boom, hundreds of projects promised to deliver complex, general-purpose AI affiliates, but most have become "stagnant."

Author: Charlie Liu If you are following the fintech, crypto, or AI circles, you must have been inundated with the term "x402". A number of internet giants are rushing into the agentic payments sector: Coinbase and Cloudflare have joined forces to establish the x402 Open Foundation, Google has integrated crypto expansion into its AP2 standards, and even the usually stable Adyen has rolled up its sleeves to get involved. Visa's TAP promises to achieve interoperability, while Stripe and OpenAI are collaborating to make ACP and "instant checkout" industry standards. An almost forgotten internet status code - 402 "Payment Required" has unexpectedly become the key to determining the business model of the next generation of AI agents. In fact, this undercurrent has been surging within the payment circle for more than half a year.

A few days ago, @brucexu\_eth reminded me to pay attention to Ethereum's ERC8004 proposal. It seems that the Ethereum community has begun preparing for the arrival of on-chain AI agent economies. In simple terms, ERC8004 aims to create a "trustless AI agent" in the Ethereum ecosystem, introducing three on-chain registries for Identity, Reputation, and Validation. This allows AI agents to discover each other, validate tasks, and interact on-chain without the need for trust, meaning that AI agents can play among themselves, forming a decentralized A2A system that enables AI agents to collaborate across organizations. This seems to have some conceptual similarities with Virtuals' ACP protocol, both focusing on the construction, interaction, and economic ecology of decentralized AI agents; both are building AI.

As the United States legislates the recognition of stablecoins, the decentralized nature of the Bitcoin network makes it a more ideal blockchain choice to tackle the challenges posed by the dollar in a multipolar world. This article is sourced from a piece by Juan Galt, organized, compiled, and written by Foresight News. (Previous context: Stripe announced over 40 new upgrades: Open Issuance platform allows businesses to issue stablecoins with one click, collaborating with OpenAI to release the ACP protocol..) (Background supplement: The ultimate battle of AI payments: The competition among the three giants Google, Coinbase, and Stripe.)

Payment giant Stripe announced over 40 new products and features at the "Stripe Tour New York" event on September 30, covering stablecoin issuance, AI-driven agency commerce, and global payment solutions. (Background: The final battle of AI payments: The showdown between the three giants Google, Coinbase, and Stripe) (Background: From the acquisition of Bridge to the self-developed Tempo chain, how is Stripe reshaping its payment empire?) At the annual product showcase "Stripe Tour New York" held in New York on September 30, payment giant Stripe announced the launch of over 40 new products and features, covering stablecoin issuance, agency commerce, payment processing, revenue management, and