Cardano's Technical Strength Meets Business Reality Check

Cardano has developed the technical capabilities to compete in the rapidly growing market of internet-native AI agent payments. The Linux Foundation's x402 Foundation, which aims to standardize these payments, includes the Cardano Foundation as an associate member. However, this membership raises questions about Cardano's influence over the emerging standard.

x402 has attracted major finance, cloud, and crypto organizations, including SBI, which chose Solana for its Japan operations instead of Cardano. DeltaDeFi, a project based on Cardano's Hydra architecture, paused operations due to lack of user adoption, liquidity, and awareness.

To succeed in this market, Cardano needs to improve its business development, marketing, and user adoption. The upcoming Van Rossum hard fork is seen as an opportunity for growth, but also carries risks for the network's infrastructure. Projects like AlphaGrowth and Blockfrost are crucial for providing the necessary support for Cardano's technology.