Autonomous paywall access planned with launch of 402 Foundation

Most internet users recognize the familiar 404 error when entering an incorrect website URL, but a different response codes may soon become commonplace for businesses. Coinbase has announced, with Cloudflare,  plans to launch the x402 Foundation, enabling AI-accessible paywalls for internet content enabling stablecoin-based micropayments by AI agents—a long-elusive target for content monetization.

Understanding the Current System

Currently, when a user  (person or machine) enters a URL, a "200" response indicates successful connection to the server displaying the website. If nothing resolves, the familiar 404 error appears. However, servers can  return a 402 Payment Required code. While humans can  use  credit cards to engage and pass that paywall and access content,  AI agents and  autonomous code cannot overcome this barrier, increasingly limiting their access to scientific articles and subscription-based content.

The x402 Foundation Solution

Coinbase and Cloudflare have announced  the x402 Foundation to  develop  coding standards enabling machines  to access and interact with  content paywalls. Coinbase suggests several key use cases:

• Pay-per-use AI and research: Per-request access to models and premium content without subscriptions

• On-demand data and signals: Pay-as-you-go access to scraping, news feeds, and real-time analytics

• Creator micropayments and identity: Tipping and pay-per-content systems, with optional identity attestations

• Storage and media: Pay-as-you-go patterns for storage, compute, and content delivery through active pilots

• Agentic commerce: Agent-to-agent payments using x402, compatible with MCP-style workflows

  
  

Technical Implementation and Benefits

The x402 Foundation will issue grants and  improve how the 402 code enables online micropayments. These transactions will likely use stablecoins, while the protocol itself remains fee-free and blockchain agnostic.  Fast-settling stablecoins like USDC on Base offer clear advantages under adoption of this standard.

Successful implementation could create new business opportunities and  data access for AI agents and API connections, accelerating data movement and enabling innovative AI agent applications. This approach bypasses traditional payment providers and credit card  fees, creating genuine peer-to-peer transaction opportunities.

Publishers and content creators gain broader  micropayment collection opportunities as  alternatives to advertising or subscriptions, both currently carrying substantial overhead costs.

What’s NXT?

As stablecoins achieve wider adoption, this  payment standard represents significant progress for both AI and blockchain applications, moving closer to an "iPhone moment" for the industry.

First published on BitsofBlocks.io and reproduced with permission.