Huaxi Securities: AI Drives Dual Acceleration in Cross-Border Payments—Rules and Technology

Huaxi Securities, in its latest computer industry weekly report, highlights that AI technology is accelerating cross-border payments on two fronts: rule-making and technology application. The report argues that as AI agents penetrate trade and supply chain scenarios, demand for machine-to-machine (M2M) payments is rising, putting pressure on traditional cross-border settlement processes to evolve.

The report notes that international clearing institutions and major payment service providers (PSPs) are exploring rules around AI agent identity verification, authorization mandates, and pre-settlement compliance screening. Protocols like x402, based on HTTP 402, are gradually entering testing phases. On the technology side, stablecoins (e.g., USDC, USDT) are seeing increased usage in cross-border settlement, with improved on-chain clearing efficiency, though anti-money laundering (AML) and sanctions list screening remain critical hurdles for deployment.

Huaxi Securities suggests that in the short term, cross-border payment infrastructure will prioritize adapting to high-volume, low-value transactions from AI agents, with per-transaction limits and daily cumulative caps likely becoming core risk controls. The report stops short of predicting specific policy directions, instead emphasizing that the synchronization of rule and technology iteration will determine how quickly the industry matures.