Agent Payments Standardization Won't Have a Single Winner

Nitya Subramanian, CEO of Para, says the market for standardized agent payments won't have a single winner. Para builds wallet infrastructure for AI agents and takes a neutral stance across competing rails.

x402, an open payment standard from Coinbase, has taken an early lead with grassroots developers because it's been 'the easiest to set up,' Subramanian said on Unchained Premium. This ease of use is what's led to the majority of adoption in this space.

However, Subramanian expects rivals to win share in larger purchases, where features like recourse and disputes are more important. She compared the outcome to conventional finance, saying there's a time and place for different payment methods, just as there is with credit cards or ACH transfers.