Cloudflare Unveils Closed Beta for Stablecoin Payments to AI Agents

Cloudflare has launched a closed beta for its Monetization Gateway, allowing eligible U.S. businesses to charge artificial intelligence agents in USD Coin (USDC) as they access online services.

The system lets websites set prices for information or services and presents the price to an agent before granting access once payment clears, eliminating the need for card entry or monthly subscriptions.

The Monetization Gateway uses Coinbase's x402 payment standard to verify transactions and settles USDC payments on Base, Coinbase's blockchain network.

Cloudflare plans to expand features and users through the rest of the year and target wider availability in early 2027. The company has explored blockchain infrastructure for stablecoin micropayments and even considered launching its own blockchain.