MCP Donated to Linux Foundation Agentic AI Foundation
Narrative
Anthropic donates Model Context Protocol (MCP) to Linux Foundation's new Agentic AI Foundation. MCP serves as "USB-C for AI" — standardized protocol for AI agents to connect to external tools, databases, and APIs. OpenAI and Microsoft publicly adopted MCP. Google began standing up managed MCP servers.
Reality
MCP at 100M monthly downloads at time of donation. Industry-wide adoption accelerating: OpenAI, Microsoft, Google all embracing the standard. Foundation aims to standardize open-source agentic tools. Reduces friction for connecting agents to real enterprise systems.
Implication
Anthropic-originated protocol becoming industry standard for agentic AI infrastructure. Open governance model builds trust. Positions MCP as foundational layer for 2026 agentic workflows. Strategic move: giving away infrastructure to capture ecosystem mindshare.