- Alibaba teams with JPMorgan on tokenized payments to speed B2B payments.
- AI Mode helps buyers compare suppliers fast, costs about $20/month.
- Agentic pay drafts contracts from chats, launching December.
Alibaba is diving into tokenized payments to make international B2B payments deals faster and cheaper. President Kuo Zhang told CNBC the company is testing JPMorgan’s JPMD system, a digital version of bank money that moves on blockchain. This cuts out the usual days of waiting as payments hop through multiple banks and currencies.
The goal is simple: slash delays and fees in cross-border trade. After getting comfy with tokenized dollars or euros, Alibaba might try stablecoins for specific cases. It’s all about smoothing global business on their massive marketplace.
AI Tools Join the Mix
Alibaba rolled out AI Mode, a subscription feature that lets buyers compare suppliers on price, output, shipping, and trust in one spot. No more flipping through pages. It’s around $20 monthly or $99 yearly, though final prices aren’t set. This adds cash beyond ads and trade fees.
Coming in December, agentic pay uses AI to draft contracts from chat history, skipping offline back and forth. Both sides review before signing, speeding things up. Zhang says buyers increasingly want smart search for complex supply chains. Alibaba’s blending quick blockchain tricks with smart AI features to keep ahead in worldwide trade.
