AWS launched Amazon Bedrock AgentCore Payments, a new set of features that enables AI agents to autonomously transact using the x402 protocol. The feature is built with Coinbase and Stripe and is currently in preview. The first supported use case enables agents to make instant micropayments to access APIs, MCP servers, web content, and other agents.

Developers enable AgentCore Payments through the AgentCore SDK or console and choose between a Coinbase wallet or a Stripe Privy wallet as the payment connection. End users fund wallets through stablecoins or fiat via debit card and must explicitly authorize the agent to access the wallet. Spending limits are enforced per session, keeping each execution within a defined budget. Under the hood, the payment flow uses x402, an open HTTP-native payment standard that triggers when an agent receives an HTTP 402 "Payment Required" response, executes a stablecoin payment, and attaches proof of payment within the execution loop.

AWS is also making the Coinbase x402 Bazaar MCP server available through AgentCore Gateway, providing a curated list of x402 endpoints that agents can discover and pay for autonomously. Heurist AI is among the early adopters, building a research agent that performs financial analysis using AgentCore Payments. The launch follows growing momentum around x402 and onchain agent commerce, including standards like ERC-8004 for trustless agents.

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The Ethereum Foundation PSE team introduced Anonymous Credentials for Trustless Agents (ACTA), an extension to the ERC-8004 standard that allows agents to prove claims about personhood, reputation, model provenance, and user jurisdiction. It uses zero-knowledge proofs to verify claims without revealing underlying data.

ACTA was created to address the permanent public interaction graph, linkability across sessions, lack of selective credential disclosure, lack of anonymous reputation feedback, and traceable cross-registry profiles in ERC-8004, the onchain trust standard for AI agents. The extension is currently in a draft phase. The PSE team is actively soliciting protocol design proposals.

Disclaimer: Content is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment, legal, or other professional advice. No representations or warranties are made as to accuracy, completeness, or timeliness. Use of this content is at your own risk, and you should consult a qualified professional before making decisions. No fiduciary or advisory relationship is created