Autonomous AI agents using XRP Ledger infrastructure are increasingly favoring Ripple USD for continuous settlements, according to XRPL AI Hub data. Meanwhile, XRP payment volumes have stagnated over the past week.
The shift comes as machines require predictable settlement costs for computing resources, APIs and other digital services. RLUSD offers dollar-linked pricing, while XRP remains exposed to market volatility.
At the same time, XRP traders are showing mixed expectations for September and the rest of 2026. Kalshi contracts show weakening near-term confidence but stronger expectations for higher prices later this year.
XRPL AI Hub data shows sustained RLUSD dominance across direct clearing settlements. The trend appears across all-time-high activity and the latest 30-day settlement data.
By contrast, transaction volumes involving XRP have remained largely unchanged during the past week. That divergence separates the network's native asset from its dollar-pegged stablecoin in machine-driven transactions.
BlackRock's research note, "The Machine-Native Economy," describes a growing financial system built around autonomous software. Traditional banking operates around human schedules, while AI agents can transact continuously.
The research says the global stablecoin market has surpassed USD 300 billion. Annual stablecoin transaction volume has also reached USD 11.6 trillion.
That liquidity gives automated systems access to assets designed for frequent transfers. AI agents can therefore pay for computing power, APIs and other services without waiting for traditional banking schedules.
Tokenized GPUs also form part of this emerging infrastructure because autonomous systems require computing resources continuously.
Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong has said the number of AI agents making transactions could grow exponentially. Yet those systems need predictable costs to operate within strict budgets.
Volatile assets create additional uncertainty for automated spending models. Even a small XRP price movement can change the real cost of a machine's planned transaction. RLUSD instead tracks the U.S. dollar one-to-one. That structure allows software to calculate expected expenses more precisely before executing payments.
XRP still retains a role in interbank clearing. Yet the supplied XRPL data shows RLUSD taking a larger role in transactions linked to autonomous software.
Prediction-market positioning shows a different trend around XRP's price. Kalshi's September XRP market currently shows a USD 1.70 forecast, up USD 0.10 on the day.
Still, the contract tied to XRP trading above USD 1.70 last changed hands at 32 cents. Since each contract pays USD 1 if XRP reaches that level, the price indicates roughly one-in-three implied odds. The same contract traded at 36 cents one day earlier. About 46,650 contracts have changed hands since the market opened on September 1, while roughly 10,870 remain open.
Further up the September ladder, the USD 1.80 contract trades near 19 cents. Contracts tied to USD 2.00 and USD 2.10 each sit near 7 cents. Meanwhile, Kalshi's full-year XRP market has strengthened. The contract covering XRP above USD 2.00 in 2026 rose to 59 cents from 53 cents.
The USD 2.50 contract increased to 33 cents from 26 cents. At the same time, the USD 3.00 contract climbed to 24 cents from 19 cents. The pattern shows a split between near-term and longer-term market expectations. Traders have reduced exposure to an immediate September breakout while assigning higher prices to later 2026 outcomes.
Bitcoin.com News previously identified a similar split in Kalshi's Bitcoin markets. Year-end USD 100,000 expectations rose while September USD 90,000 pricing weakened.
Read More: Why XRP Price Moves with the Broader Crypto Market
Fund flows have also provided support to the XRP market. U.S. spot XRP ETFs recorded USD 22.65 million in inflows on September 25.
Bitwise led those inflows. The buying indicates continued demand through regulated investment products, even as XRP remains below the USD 1.60 level.
Yet ETF demand has not produced an immediate breakout. That leaves the coming trading sessions important for both price positioning and prediction-market expectations.
Meanwhile, XRP Ledger activity presents a separate structural development. RLUSD continues to gain relevance in machine-driven settlements because automated systems prioritize stable and measurable costs.
The combination creates two distinct XRP Ledger narratives. AI agents are increasingly choosing stable settlement units, while XRP traders continue to debate how quickly the native asset can recover.
RLUSD is gaining traction among AI agents because stable pricing supports continuous automated payments. Meanwhile, XRP remains below USD 1.60 despite USD 22.65 million in ETF inflows. Kalshi traders show weaker September expectations but stronger confidence in higher XRP prices later in 2026.