Hey devs, I just came across Oasis Network’s new protocol called x402, and it's a really elegant way to do micropayments natively over HTTP. 🚀
Here’s a breakdown:
The idea builds on the old HTTP status code 402 (“Payment Required”), which was originally meant for paid web requests — but never really used. Oasis is bringing it back.
With x402, when a client (human or AI agent) requests something (API, content, etc.), the server can respond with HTTP 402, giving the payment details (which token, amount, etc.).
The client signs a permit-style transaction (using EIP-3009, transferWithAuthorization) instead of manually handling gas or private keys.
A “facilitator” service verifies and then settles the payment on-chain. The client just sees the normal HTTP request-response after that.
From your perspective, it’s just another API call. But under the hood, it’s real crypto + stablecoin settlement.
Why this matters:
Micropayments become viable: Because gas costs are low-ish and x402 is pay-per-request, you can charge for super small units (e.g., $0.001 / API call).
Agent economy-ready: AI agents can autonomously pay for services (API / compute / data) without humans managing the wallet or paying upfront.
Composable: Agents can pay each other, or pay for resources per use. Very fluid economics.
Privacy + trust: When combined with ROFL and ERC-8004, you get identity, reputation, and secure execution, all in a trustless way.
Use case example:
Oasis built a demo where an LLM (e.g., for document summarization) runs inside a ROFL enclave — and users pay cents for each summary via x402.
If you’re building agent-first apps, this could completely change how you monetize or handle payments.
Curious to hear:
Who’s thinking of integrating x402 into their API?
Anyone building AI agents that could use this directly?
full thread: https://oasis.net/blog/x402-https-internet-native-payments
Top comments (5)
x402 is actually a pretty clean approach, being able to trigger payments directly through normal HTTP flows removes a ton of friction, and the permit-style signing makes it usable for agents without constant wallet interaction.
For APIs or AI workloads where you want pay-per-request pricing, this feels a lot more practical than the usual on-chain payment patterns.
Also I have seen some pretty cool projects being made using x402 protocol.
oh I agree! it definitely is more practical than anything I've seen so far!
Really insightful breakdown of how HTTP 402 is being repurposed by x402 for seamless micropayments. The idea of APIs signalling payment via a 402 response (token type, amount) and then a client doing a permit-style transaction (e.g., via EIP-3009) makes pay-per-request genuinely viable.
What’s most compelling is how this opens up an agent-economy: AI agents autonomously paying for compute/services, without users manually handling wallets. For anyone building agent-first or data-API monetised apps, this feels like a foundational design worth integrating thanks for bringing attention to it!
Great breakdown! x402 really feels like the missing payments layer for the agent economy. Turning HTTP 402 into a native micropayments flow, with permit-based auth and seamless settlement, makes crypto finally usable for per-request APIs. And paired with ROFL + ERC-8004, you get secure agents that can autonomously pay for compute, data, or other agents. Super clean design and definitely something worth integrating for anyone building agent-native apps.
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