Crypto exchange OKX has unveiled an open standard for payments dedicated to AI agents called the Agent Payments Protocol, or APP. It follows Coinbase-incubated x402 and Stripe\'s Machine Payments Protocol. OKX said APP is designed to handle a full business cycle, including quotes, negotiation, escrow, metering, settlement and dispute resolution. It is designed to work across chains including Solana and Ethereum and integrates an agentic wallet.

Uzbekistan plans to set up a special crypto mining zone in the Karakalpakstan Autonomous Republic and give tenant companies tax exemptions until Jan. 1, 2035. President Shavkat Mirziyoyev signed a decree establishing the Beskala Mining Valley near the Kazakhstan border. Tenant miners will have unrestricted access to Uzbekistan’s unified power grid, with additional power supplied by a hydrogen power plant to be built in Karakalpakstan. Companies must obtain a licence from the National Agency for Perspective Projects.