Coinbase has unveiled x402, a new payment protocol that allows for instant stablecoin payments directly over HTTP.
This move aims to transform the way APIs, applications, and AI agents conduct transactions in an automated internet economy.
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x402 is an open standard that revitalises the original HTTP “402 Payment Required” status code to embed stablecoin payments into web interactions.
It empowers developers and AI agents to pay for services and software with stablecoins over HTTP to streamline payment process.
With a few lines of code, x402 facilitates built-in authentication, automatic settlement, and integration into the existing web infrastructure.
This enables instant monetisation and automatic transactions, allowing businesses and agents to exchange value as they exchange data.
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By GlobalDataThe launch of x402 is supported by collaborators such as AWS, Anthropic, Circle, and NEAR.
The workflow includes client initiating requests access to a resource, the server issues a 402 Payment Required response, the client sends a signed payment, and upon verification by a payment facilitator like the Coinbase x402 Facilitator service, the server delivers the requested data.
Developers can utilise services such as the Coinbase x402 Facilitator to integrate stablecoin payments into their offerings with minimal coding.
This grants AI systems the capability to perform real-time, autonomous transactions, for “scenarios” such as autonomous cloud compute, market intelligence, prediction markets, and AI-driven creative tools.
Coinbase Developer Platform engineering head Erik Reppel said: “We built x402 because the internet has always needed a native way to send and receive payments—and stablecoins finally make that possible. Just like HTTPS secured the web, x402 could define the next era of the internet; one where value moves as freely and instantly as information. We’re laying the groundwork for an economy run not just by people, but by software—autonomous, intelligent, and always on.”
Last month, Coinbase expanded partnership with PayPal, enabling users to buy, sell, and trade PYUSD without platform fees to promote the adoption of the PayPal USD (PYUSD) stablecoin.
