Overview

• The new foundation promotes x402, a protocol that embeds pay‑as‑you‑go transactions into web requests so AI agents, APIs, and apps can pay without accounts or subscriptions.
• Cloudflare has integrated x402 into its Agents SDK and MCP servers and opened a public playground that funds a test wallet on Base testnet for hands‑on trials.
• Coinbase has published the x402 specification and reference implementations on GitHub to encourage wider developer adoption.
• The protocol repurposes HTTP 402 flows with a server offer, a client‑signed response, and a facilitator that verifies settlement, plus an option for deferred batching via cards, banks, or stablecoins.
• Backers position the foundation as a neutral governance body offering grants and interoperability work, as early interest surfaces from groups like the Cardano Foundation and Masumi, with competition noted from Google’s AP2.