x402 settled $41.6M across 182M payments by 3 Sept 2026 at 23 cents each, with daily volumes down 93% YTD and no growth since April, exposing agentic payments demand problem.

According to TRON DAO, Justin Sun emphasizes that the real progress in cryptocurrency continues to stem from its practical use cases, such as payments and settlements, as opposed to the current lack of clear, everyday value in consumer-facing AI products. Sun's remarks underline the importance of proven applications in driving crypto adoption.