Block Brings Lightning Payments to x402, Enabling AI Agent Transactions
Block has contributed Lightning payments to the x402 Foundation, an open standard for software that can request and pay for services. This move aims to enable Bitcoin to handle tiny payments made by AI agents while they get things done online.
The proposed customer is often a program acting on behalf of a person or business, paying for data needed to complete tasks. Without human intervention, the payment could happen within the interaction with the service. Block targets repeated, small transactions, which is a different use of Bitcoin from storing large balances in treasuries.
The standard uses HTTP 402, the web's Payment Required response. A service receiving an unpaid request can return instructions for payment. The client pays and retries, allowing the service to deliver the requested resource.