The x402 payments protocol allows AI agents and applications to make automatic payments for data and services through HTTP requests. It enables micropayments, allowing creators to earn stablecoins per access, and facilitates machine-to-machine transactions without human intervention. This innovation could reshape online commerce and content monetization.

Coinbase has introduced Payments MCP, a tool that allows AI agents like Claude and Gemini to access blockchain wallets and perform transactions using cryptocurrency. This initiative follows the launch of the x402 Foundation, aimed at standardizing AI payments and enhancing the integration of AI with decentralized finance.