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Linux Foundation launches x402 Foundation for agent-to-agent payments
x402 processed about 75 million transactions totaling $24 million over the past 30 days, according to the Linux Foundation.
The Linux Foundation has formally launched the x402 Foundation to standardize internet-native payments between software agents, with support from major card networks and payments technology firms, CoinDesk reports.
x402 uses the long-reserved HTTP 402, “Payment Required” code to let a client pay a server directly with small stablecoin transfers, typically USDC, without accounts or prior relationships. The Foundation said Tuesday it now operates under formal governance with 40 members, and that Coinbase’s contribution of the protocol is complete.
CoinDesk reports that x402 handled about 75 million transactions totaling $24 million over the past 30 days, with most payments under a dollar, while still representing a tiny volume compared with traditional payment networks.
The Foundation describes x402 as filling the long-untapped gap created when web architects set aside the “402” response code, and it highlights that the protocol is aimed at machine-to-machine commerce where agents can sign transactions even if they cannot open bank accounts or complete credit checks. Premier members named by the Linux Foundation include Ripple, Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Stripe, Adyen, Fiserv, Shopify, Google, and Amazon Web Services, plus Cloudflare and other firms and foundations.