Block joins x402 Foundation to enable AI agent payments via Bitcoin Lightning

Block, the payment company led by Jack Dorsey, has joined the x402 Foundation to support the development of an open payment standard designed for AI agents. As part of this move, Block is integrating the Bitcoin Lightning Network into the x402 protocol.

The x402 standard, originally developed by Coinbase and now managed under the Linux Foundation, aims to enable autonomous AI agents to pay for web resources, such as API calls or datasets, without requiring human intervention or manual API keys. The protocol utilizes the existing HTTP ‘402 Payment Required’ status code to automate the transaction process between machines.

By introducing the Lightning Network, Block provides a mechanism for the instant, low-cost micropayments necessary for the high volume of transactions expected in an ‘agent economy’. Steve Lee, head of Block’s Bitcoin initiative Spiral, noted that the Lightning Network is purpose-built to handle the billions of small payments that AI agents from companies like Google, Microsoft, and AWS may eventually execute.