Cloudflare Launches NET Dollar Stablecoin to Power AI Agent Transactions

San Francisco-based web infrastructure company Cloudflare Inc. (NYSE:NET) announced on September 25, the launch of NET Dollar, a new U.S. dollar-backed stablecoin specifically designed to facilitate transactions in what the company calls the "agentic web" - an internet powered by AI agents. The move represents Cloudflare's entry into the crypto payments space as it seeks to modernize payment infrastructure for artificial intelligence applications. 

NET Dollar will enable instant, secure transactions across currencies and geographies, addressing payment challenges that emerge as AI agents increasingly conduct business on behalf of users. The stablecoin aims to solve friction points in traditional payment systems that can slow down or complicate automated transactions between AI systems.

Cloudflare, which trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker NET, operates one of the world's largest content delivery networks and provides cybersecurity services to millions of websites globally. The company has been expanding beyond its core infrastructure services into emerging technology areas, with this stablecoin launch marking its most significant move into digital assets.

The NET Dollar initiative reflects Cloudflare's vision of supporting a new business model for the AI-driven internet, where autonomous agents need seamless payment rails to conduct transactions without human intervention. The company believes traditional payment systems are too slow and cumbersome for the rapid, automated transactions that AI agents require.

The announcement comes as the intersection of AI and crypto payments gains traction across the technology industry. Companies are increasingly exploring how digital currencies can facilitate machine-to-machine transactions, micropayments, and cross-border transfers that AI systems may need to execute autonomously.

Cloudflare's entry into stablecoins positions the company to potentially capture revenue from the growing AI economy, where agents may need to pay for computing resources, data access, or other services in real-time. The company's existing infrastructure and global reach could provide advantages in scaling such a payment system.

The timing of the launch coincides with broader industry interest in AI agent capabilities and the infrastructure needed to support them. As AI systems become more autonomous and capable of conducting business transactions, the need for frictionless payment systems designed for machine use cases has become more apparent.