Block Bolsters x402 with Bitcoin Lightning Support

Block has joined the x402 Foundation and added Bitcoin Lightning support to the payment protocol. The move is part of Block's push into payments for AI agents. Lightning is suited to the low-cost, high-volume payments that agentic commerce will depend on.

According to Steve Lee, head of Block's Bitcoin development initiative Spiral, 'Bringing Lightning to x402 is a concrete step toward making Bitcoin everyday money for people and the agents acting on their behalf.'

x402 is an open payment standard that enables AI agents and web services to autonomously pay for API access, data, and digital services. The protocol has gained backing from several major companies, including Google, Microsoft, Amazon Web Services, Coinbase, and the Solana Foundation.

The move builds on Block's participation in the Universal Commerce Protocol, an effort to enable AI-driven commerce for small businesses.