Recently, there has been a lot of talk about how x402 is the next big trend for inscriptions. I did some research to understand it before getting involved!
1. What is x402?
In internet development, after making an HTTP call for a payment request, a status code is returned upon success: 402 'Payment Required'. x402 is an open payment protocol launched primarily by Coinbase, aimed at building a native payment layer for the internet.
2. How does the x402 protocol work?
The workflow of the x402 protocol is very clever; it seamlessly integrates payments into standard internet communications:
1. Initiate request: You (or an AI program) send an access request to an API or website that requires payment.
2. Receive payment prompt: The server returns an HTTP 402 status code, along with the amount to be paid (e.g., 0.01 USDC) and the receiving address.
3. Complete payment: Your wallet (e.g., MetaMask) automatically or manually signs the transaction and pays the specified stablecoin.
4. Verify and obtain resources: After the server or its delegated verification nodes confirm the payment on the blockchain, they will send the requested data or service to you.
The entire process does not require account registration, credit card binding, or complex redirects, achieving 'payment equals access.'
3. Core advantages and values of X402
1. Born for the AI economy: This is the most notable aspect of X402. Future AI assistants need to be able to autonomously purchase data, computing power, or API services, but they cannot apply for credit cards or undergo KYC like humans. X402 provides AI with 'on-chain identity and wallet,' allowing it to independently participate in economic activities like a human.
2. Enable feasible micropayments: The high fees of traditional payment systems make transactions of just a few cents impossible. X402 only requires payment of very low blockchain network fees (Gas fees), making detailed business models such as per-API-call or per-second billing possible.
3. Extremely developer-friendly: For website or API developers, integrating X402 payments may only require adding a few lines of code, greatly lowering the barrier to adding payment functionality to services.
4. Opportunities and risks coexist
x402 solves the issue of how AI can make payments, but the security of funds is still very important, as the data purchased through AI payments may also be invalid. Therefore, how to address the trust issue after AI payments is also a problem that needs to be solved.
5. Solutions: DeAgentAI zkTLS AI oracle
DeAgentAI $AIA
As a leading AI agent infrastructure, it has built an oracle that fundamentally does not require trust. They achieve this by shifting the entire paradigm from reputation consensus to cryptographic consensus. This solution is a dedicated AI oracle built on zkTLS (Zero-Knowledge Transport Layer Security Protocol).
x402 protocol addresses the friction of 'payment,' but that only completes half of the task. An AI entity pays for data but cannot verify the authenticity of the data, which is unacceptable in any high-value scenario. DeAgentAI provides the missing other half: a verifiable 'trust layer.'
6. Summary:
x402 differs from inscriptions in that x402 can solve actual demands in real life and can bring significant changes to reality, especially in the AI field, completing a qualitative change from [searching, writing] to [self-service purchasing]. For web3, there will definitely be many memes and new opportunities related to this hot event, and it is essential to select x402-related projects with strength that can be implemented for investment, given the accompanying risks.