AI agents, which are AI-driven programs capable of thinking and trading without human intervention, are expected to open a new world of e-commerce on Ethereum by utilizing a long-forgotten HTTP web standard that has only recently been applied on the blockchain.
The Ethereum Foundation announced on Wednesday that the long-dormant HTTP 402 "Payment Required" status—defined nearly 30 years ago—combined with Ethereum Improvement Proposal 3009, enables AI agents to perform stablecoin transfers without human intervention. They also shared a "guest commentary" written by Coinbase development team members Kevin Leffew and Lincoln Murr.
The two stated that AI agents are poised to become "the most powerful users" of Ethereum. According to Coinbase's GitHub account, the company has implemented the functionality of the HTTP 402 standard through the "x402 payment protocol."
This shift is significant, as AI agents can now autonomously access funds and pay for various service fees without the need for manual management of API calls, storage, or computation.
They noted that this will drive advancements in several areas, including self-driving taxis autonomously covering operational costs, AI models generating content on demand, and applications automatically using stablecoins for permanent data storage.
Currently, AI agents can analyze market data, execute buy and sell orders in real-time, and optimize portfolios, achieving automated cryptocurrency trading.
Leffew and Murr likened this process to a vending machine, explaining that AI agents receive HTTP 402 requests, sign transactions, and complete payments to obtain responses.
This mechanism enables APIs to have wallet recognition capabilities.
Leffew and Murr believe that Ethereum's trustless settlement layer makes it an ideal blockchain for implementing HTTP 402, and they pointed out that the efficiency of invoice processing and dispute refunds will far exceed traditional processes.
Coinbase employees stated that developers are already experimenting with HTTP 402, noting that Hyperbolic Labs is integrating it into large language models, while Prodia Labs is used for generating image and video content.
Leffew and Murr concluded, "The brilliance of x402 lies not only in the agents' ability to pay but also in their capacity to autonomously link various services, forming a complete economic ecosystem."
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Original: “Coinbase Development Team: AI Agents Will Become Ethereum's (ETH) 'Largest Power Users'”
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