NHN KCP Joins Google AP2 and Agentic AI Foundation to Advance Stablecoin and AI Agent Payments

NHN KCP, the payments affiliate of NHN, joined Google’s Agent Payments Protocol (AP2) and the Agentic AI Foundation on November 10, 2026. The move was disclosed during the company’s Q3 2026 earnings call as part of efforts to develop payment services for stablecoins and transactions executed by AI agents.

NHN KCP Participation in AP2 Protocol and AAIF Standards Work

NHN KCP is contributing to the AP2 protocol, which Google announced in September 2025. Version 0.2, released in April 2026, introduced support for autonomous “Human Not Present” flows and was donated to the FIDO Alliance. The protocol relies on cryptographically signed mandates, including Checkout Mandate and Payment Mandate, to enable verifiable payments by AI agents across card rails and stablecoin extensions such as a2a-x402. NHN KCP first expressed support for AP2 in September 2025 and intends to incorporate elements of the Korean payment ecosystem into the global standard.

The company also joined the Agentic AI Foundation, launched in December 2025 under the Linux Foundation. The foundation counts roughly 200 to 305 members, among them Google, Microsoft, AWS, Stripe, OpenAI and Anthropic. NHN KCP became a member around July 13, 2026. It plans to take part in working groups focused on AI agent payment infrastructure standardization, drawing on its on- and offline payment systems and cross-border networks. CEO Park Jun-seok stressed the need for safe, universal protocols that cover cross-border and multi-platform transactions, including stablecoins.

These steps align with NHN KCP’s April 2026 memorandum of understanding with Ava Labs to construct a payments-oriented Layer 1 mainnet on Avalanche infrastructure. The network targets sub-second authorization, on-chain encryption and merchant-specific features. Internal pilots using the PAYCO app recorded stablecoin payments completed in one to two seconds, with hourly on-chain settlement and models for cross-border remittances. The firm continues to pursue VASP registration.

Revenue Growth and Payment Volume in Q3 2026

NHN KCP reported revenue of 386.7 billion KRW for the third quarter of 2026, an increase of 21.8 percent from the same period a year earlier. Operating profit stood at 14 billion KRW, down 11.2 percent year over year amid higher costs. Total payment volume reached 17.3 trillion KRW, up 30.5 percent, while overseas merchant volume grew 75.4 percent and now accounts for a record 25.3 percent of the total.

NHN stated that stablecoin and AI agent payments represent key future growth areas. The group is directing resources across its businesses to build next-generation services that support digital-asset and AI-driven transactions. NHN KCP will continue contributing to global standards bodies while developing infrastructure that meets emerging regulatory requirements.

Further work includes ongoing pilots of stablecoin payments and continued participation in AP2 and AAIF working groups. The company expects to expand integration with international networks once additional regulatory frameworks are established. No specific dates for mainnet launch or broader commercial rollout have been announced beyond the current test programs.