Is Google Kicking the Tires of Telegram-Type Crypto Methods?
September 29, 2025
This essay is the work of a dumb dinobaby. No smart software required.
There’s been quite a bit of talk about US and China. There is the tariff hassle; there is the AI chip dust up; and there is the on-going grousing about Taiwan. Some companies are shifting manufacturing from China to other countries. (Apple, how is that going for you?)
Art produced by Venice.ai.
I noted a small item which suggests that Google is getting more comfortable with Chinese outfits that are on paper slightly less wired into the Middle Kingdom. “Ant International Among Over 60 Firms Backing Google’s Push for AI Agent Payments” reports as actual factual:
The fintech giant will use its expertise in alternative payments and AI to help shape Google’s open protocol for agent-led transactions.
The news item adds:
Ant International has teamed up with Google to help shape a new way for AI agents to make payments safely, a step that could speed up the growth of autonomous commerce. The Agent Payments Protocol (AP2) is an open system that sets out how AI agents can carry out transactions with a user’s approval. It is designed to check user intent, make transactions easier to track, improve privacy and make it clear who is responsible for each step. The protocol works with different payment types including cards, real-time bank transfers and stablecoins. It also connects with Google’s Agent2Agent and Model Context systems. In addition, Google has launched the A2A x402 extension to support crypto payments between AI agents. Ant International said it will use its experience with alternative payment methods and its links to 36 digital wallets to help build AP2.
This passage adds a bit of allegedly accurate information new to me; specifically, the inclusion of stablecoin support. Yep, crypto and “crypto payments between AI agents.” Telegram’s platform has functions that allow these types of transactions. What’s interesting is that crypto transactions have been used by Kucoin for illegal purposes. The US Securities & Exchange Commission caused a leadership change at Ku Group (the developer of Kucoin) earlier in 2025.
The article quotes a Googler named Mark Micallef as saying:
“AP2 establishes the core building blocks for secure transactions that will drive further growth, creating clear opportunities for the industry—including networks, issuers, merchants, and end users—to innovate on adjacent areas like seamless agent authorization. We’re committed to evolving this protocol in an open, collaborative process and invite the entire payments and technology community to build this future with us.”
Google explains what it is doing in a very cheery and upbeat video at this link.
Has Google decided that Ant International is not too close to the Chinese government? Has Google, like Apple, found a way to conduct business despite the US government’s efforts to limit certain interactions with China and Chinese firms? How likely will these crypto payments be probed by bad actors to determine if money laundering, for instance, can be automated on this international but Googley platform?
As a dinobaby, I find the Telegram-ization of Google’s payment system most interesting.
Stephen E Arnold, September 29, 2025
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