Ripple has introduced new tools that allow AI-powered software agents to make payments using XRP and RLUSD, as the company looks to expand its presence in the growing machine-to-machine payment market.
The new release, called the XRPL AI Starter Kit, is designed to help developers build AI applications that can send, receive, and manage payments on the XRP Ledger with minimal human involvement.
According to Ripple, AI agents are increasingly being used to handle tasks such as paying for computing resources, settling invoices, and completing automated transactions. The company believes traditional payment systems, which often rely on manual approvals and reconciliation processes, are not well suited for these types of automated interactions.
The toolkit includes access to the XRPL Docs MCP Server, which allows AI applications to retrieve XRP Ledger documentation whenever needed. Ripple has also added wallet and payment tools that let AI agents create wallets, check balances, track transactions, and send payments directly through the XRP Ledger.
A key feature of the launch is support for the x402 payment protocol, allowing AI agents to use XRP and Ripple USD (RLUSD) for automated transactions.
However, Ripple is entering a market where USDC currently holds a strong lead.
The x402 protocol, originally developed by Coinbase and now maintained by the Linux Foundation’s x402 Foundation, is designed to allow software applications and AI agents to make blockchain payments directly through standard web requests.
The system has seen rapid growth over the past year. Industry data shows that x402 has processed more than 120 million transactions, with over $41 million in payment volume settled primarily through USDC.
Most of this activity has taken place on Base and Solana, which together account for the majority of x402 transaction volume. The average payment size is relatively small, around five cents, highlighting the protocol’s focus on automated micro-payments between machines and software services.
Ripple believes the XRP Ledger offers several advantages for this emerging market. The network provides transaction settlement within a few seconds, low and predictable fees, built-in escrow functionality, multisignature support, and a native decentralized exchange.
Beyond the AI payment initiative, Ripple continues to expand the broader use of RLUSD and XRP-based payment infrastructure.
Recently, Mastercard added RLUSD to its stablecoin settlement network, which supports transactions across multiple blockchain ecosystems. Ripple has also partnered with several companies to strengthen cross-border payment solutions using blockchain technology.
One notable development is Ripple’s integration of MXNB, a Mexican peso-backed stablecoin, into its enterprise payments network. The company says RLUSD and MXNB will help support faster and more efficient cross-border transactions between the United States and Mexico.
Despite these developments, questions remain about real-world adoption.
Ripple has not yet disclosed major production-scale deployments, transaction volumes, or large customers actively using XRP or RLUSD for AI-powered payments. As a result, it is still too early to determine how much market share Ripple can capture in the rapidly growing machine-payment sector.
Industry researchers have also pointed out technical challenges that come with machine-to-machine payment systems. These include payment authorization, transaction verification, and ensuring smooth coordination between blockchain networks and web services.
Even so, Ripple’s latest move reflects a growing belief across the technology industry that AI agents will increasingly need the ability to send and receive payments independently. By adding XRP and RLUSD support to this emerging ecosystem, Ripple is positioning itself to compete in what could become a major new area of digital commerce.
