x402 Upgrade to V2 "Support for Single Format Cross-Chain", how does Coinbase create fully automated payments for AI agents?

2025-12-12 04:45:27

Coinbase Launches x402 V2, the New Cross-Chain Experience Brings the 30-Year-Dormant HTTP 402 Status Code Back to Reality, Allowing AI Agents to Settle in Milliseconds Between On-Chain and Banking Systems, Paving the Financial Highway for the Machine Economy.
(Background recap: Stripe announces acquisition of crypto wallet Valora, aiming to promote the stablecoin network Tempo)
(Additional context: The “Tether favorite” Stable Stablecoin chain crashed at launch, dropping 60% at its peak, causing trust crisis in the old mouse trap)

The 30-year dormant internet code finally awakens. Coinbase officially launched x402 V2 on Thursday (11th) on the developer platform, bringing the previously idle HTTP 402 “Payment Required” status code into practical use for the first time, creating a fast lane from the Base chain to bank ledgers for AI agents to settle in milliseconds.

HTTP 402 Resurrected, AI Payments No Longer Stuck

In the past six months, the x402 protocol has completed over 100 million transactions, demonstrating the formation of a high-speed, dense “machine-to-machine” (M2M) economy among AIs. Humans can still accept forms, CAPTCHAs, and batch settlements, but for AI agents that need to automatically purchase datasets within 200 milliseconds, traditional payment delays are like speed bumps in a desert.

x402 V2 eliminates these frictions, making HTTP 402 a truly usable internet language. The new version’s core highlight is “hybrid compatibility.” V2 supports high-performance blockchains like Base and Solana, as well as traditional banking networks such as ACH and automatic debits, through a unified interface. Developers no longer need to write additional logic for different payment rails. Coinbase emphasizes in the documentation:

x402 launched in May 2025, with a simple concept: utilizing the long-idle 402 status code to embed payments directly into the HTTP protocol. The V2 version is based on actual payment codes from the past six months, embedding payments directly into HTTP. With V2, developers only need a line of middleware code to achieve default multi-chain and fiat currency compatibility…

This creates a single payment format that can operate cross-chain and be compatible with traditional payment pipelines.

For operators aiming to run cross-border AI services, this code is like the Rosetta Stone of finance, making value flows as intuitive as information transfer.

Infrastructure Test Under 100 Million Micro-Payments

Behind the massive traffic is a rigorous test of stability. Coinbase has partnered deeply with Cloudflare and Circle, leveraging USDC stablecoin and cryptographic signature technology to cut settlement times to milliseconds, while maintaining bank-grade reliability. This design supports various business models including per-API billing, usage-based, and subscription, providing AI agents with their own “wallets” and “bank accounts.”

The V2 launch also aligns with the shifting US policies. After President Trump returns to the White House in 2025, Washington has shown a more open attitude towards crypto innovation, allowing Coinbase to accelerate the development of “TradFi + DeFi” hybrid infrastructure. The newly added “payTo” dynamic routing feature makes setting billing rules as intuitive as dragging webpage components; future paywalls will no longer block humans but will enable machines to handshake and settle behind the scenes.

x402 V2 is not just an upgrade of the protocol but a foundation for the next-generation machine economy. For investors and architects, integrating this financial highway is no longer a question of “whether” but “when.” As AI can autonomously consume and exchange resources, the internet will evolve from an information network to a value network, with new GDP growth points emerging accordingly.

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