Kite AI (KITE) is an L1 public blockchain designed for AI intelligences, supporting x402 payment primitives, and has received investment from Coinbase Ventures with $33 million in funding.
Exclusive L1 payment ecosystem for AI intelligences
Kite AI (gokite.ai) was established by a team of experts from Databricks, Uber, and Berkeley, positioning itself as a complete blockchain infrastructure for AI agents, allowing these agents to autonomously complete identity verification, payment initiation, and settlement. The team emphasizes native support for x402 payment primitives, making it one of the few public blockchains that comprehensively implements machine-to-machine billing via the HTTP 402 status code, and has received strategic investment from Coinbase Ventures.
x402 The machine-to-machine payment revolution of the original language
x402 is based on the HTTP “402 Payment Required” standard, allowing AI agents to automatically authorize payments when requesting API data or services, without human intervention. Kite AI embeds this into chain-layer primitives, supporting instant settlements between agents. This addresses the pain point that traditional payments cannot adapt to the AI economy, with a $33 million Series A round led by PayPal Ventures and General Catalyst.
The strategic significance of Coinbase Ventures endorsement
Coinbase has confirmed its investment in Kite’s native integration of the x402 proxy payment standard, accelerating the large-scale implementation of the protocol. For developers, this means that on-chain payments can be directly called when building AI dApps; for investors, institutional recognition reduces early-stage risks. This layout indicates that the explosive growth in the number of AI agents will drive payment demand, positioning Kite as the underlying track of the M2M economy.
Complete closed-loop design of identity governance payment
Kite integrates identity verification, DAO governance, and payment modules, allowing AI agents to have an on-chain persona, participate in decision-making, and execute transactions. This transcends human-centered design and injects agent economy elements into scenarios such as DeFi and GameFi, expected to reshape Web3 interaction models.
Summary
Kite AI pioneers the era of AI smart contract payments with the x402 primitive, while Coinbase’s investment and the popularity of NFTs strengthen its leading position, supported by $33 million in funding for ecosystem expansion. Newcomers should pay attention to the adoption rate and TVL, but need to balance hype with real-world validation to seize the opportunity of AI and blockchain integration.
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