Recently researched X402, many people have looked at a lot of materials on X402 but are still confused. I will make a simple summary to help everyone get a general understanding of the X402 protocol!!

1. Why is everyone talking about X402?

The past internet did not "understand money". Payments relied on cards, accounts, and subscriptions, which essentially meant humans were patching machines. But in the AI era, machines are starting to actively call APIs, purchase computing power, and access data; they need a way to "pay for themselves". This is the X402 Protocol. It directly writes payments into the HTTP protocol—when the server returns 402 Payment Required, the client or AI agent can automatically sign and pay with stablecoins (like USDC), carrying payment credentials in the request header. Once verified successfully, resources are automatically released. No accounts, no recharges, no trust in intermediaries. Each request = a payment on the blockchain.

2. Why is X402 said to be the future of AI payments?

· It is native to HTTP, allowing any website, API, or AI model to integrate seamlessly.

· It is a programmable settlement layer: allowing developers to customize prices and pay per call.

· It is the essential infrastructure for the AI agent economy: enabling agents to autonomously buy and sell computing power, data, and services.

· It is the real use case for stablecoins: transforming from speculative assets into the settlement currency of the internet.

Coinbase leads the launch, while Cloudflare supports standardized access. This is not a new chain, nor another payment project, but the moment 30 years after the birth of the internet when the "value layer" was written into network protocols. AI will earn money on its own, and X402 will teach it how to pay.