Kite
The payments layer for the agent economy — blockchain-based infrastructure enabling autonomous AI agents to hold funds and make purchases
Overview
Kite is the payments infrastructure layer for the agent economy, launched on mainnet in April 2026. It provides AI agents with programmable, secure wallets to hold funds and make autonomous purchases while users retain control over spending limits and authorized destinations. The platform combines three layers: Kite Chain (native settlement), Kite Agent Passport (identity and wallet), and an Agent Interface layer. Kite positions itself as a unified hub for major payment protocol standards including x402, Google's AP2 protocol, Stripe's Machine Payment Protocol (MPP), and Anthropic's Model Context Protocol (MCP).
The Verdict
Who Should Use Kite?
Best For
- Developers building autonomous agents that need payment capabilities
- Teams wanting protocol-level integration with x402, AP2, MPP standards
- Organizations needing programmable spending controls for AI agents
- Crypto-native projects building in the agent economy
- E-commerce and travel planning agentic workflows
Not Ideal For
- Teams preferring traditional fiat-only payment rails
- Organizations avoiding blockchain infrastructure
- Simple chatbot use cases without payment needs
- Developers seeking fully managed payment solutions
What's Great
- Unified support for x402, Google AP2, Stripe MPP, and Anthropic MCP protocols
- Agent Passport provides secure identity and wallet infrastructure
- $35M funding from PayPal Ventures and General Catalyst
- Pilot integrations with PayPal and Shopify underway
- 90+ service provider integrations at launch
- Programmable spending limits and authorized destinations
Watch Out For
- Blockchain-based — requires crypto wallet familiarity
- Newly launched mainnet (April 2026)
- Native token model may add complexity
- Limited to online commerce scenarios currently
Pricing
View all features & details
Core Infrastructure
- Kite Chain — native settlement layer
- Kite Agent Passport — identity and wallet
- Agent Interface & Experience layer
- Programmable spending controls
- Multi-protocol support
Protocol Support
- x402 payment standard
- Google AP2 protocol
- Stripe Machine Payment Protocol (MPP)
- Anthropic Model Context Protocol (MCP)
Use Cases
- Autonomous shopping agents
- Travel planning and booking
- DIY automated agentic workflows
- Service-to-service payments
2026 Roadmap
- Expanding integrations and developer tools
- Advanced x402 and Google AP2 compatibility
- Native staking mechanisms
- On-chain governance activation
How It Compares
| Feature | Kite | Sponge | Agent Card |
|---|---|---|---|
| Settlement Layer | Own blockchain | Stablecoins | Visa rails |
| Protocol Support | x402, AP2, MPP, MCP | Limited | Limited |
| Agent Identity | Agent Passport | Wallet-based | Card-based |
| Funding | $35M | YC-backed | — |
| Target Use Case | Full agent economy | Financial ops | Shopping agents |