We are excited to introduce x402–a new open source payments protocol built on HTTP rails.

Learn more: https://x402.org

Read our blog: https://www.coinbase.com/developer-platform/discover/launches/x402

Let’s break it down. 👇

Status code 402 “Payment Required” has been a part of HTTP for decades, but was never used.

x402 builds on HTTP rails to bring it to life.  

Now any server can request payment, and any client — whether an AI agent or a human — can respond with digital dollars like USDC.

Love that HTTP 402 has some real utility now!