Coinbase has unveiled the second version of its x402 payments protocol, which now facilitates connections between multiple blockchains, including Base and Solana, as well as traditional payment systems. Launched on December 11, 2025, this upgrade is a significant step forward for autonomous machine-to-machine transactions.
Since its initial launch just six months ago, the x402 protocol has successfully processed over 100 million payments, demonstrating its robust capabilities in handling transactions across various web services and API integrations. The enhancements introduced in V2 are designed to optimize these processes.
One of the key features of the V2 upgrade is the standardization of network and asset identification. This allows a unified payment format to operate seamlessly across different blockchain environments and legacy financial infrastructures. The protocol aims to serve as a comprehensive payment layer that bridges the gap between digital currencies and traditional payment methods.
The introduction of wallet-based sessions is another notable enhancement. This feature streamlines subscription-style access, enabling users to repeatedly utilize purchased resources without the need to restart the payment flow. This innovation is particularly beneficial for high-frequency operations, such as automated API calls and large language model inference, by minimizing unnecessary on-chain interactions.
Furthermore, the upgrade establishes a structural separation among clients, servers, and facilitators. This modular approach allows developers to integrate new blockchains and payment schemes without altering the core protocol. A new Discovery extension has also been added, enabling x402-enabled services to expose metadata. This functionality allows AI agents to automatically find services, comprehend pricing structures, and initiate payments independently.
The x402 protocol leverages the HTTP 402: Payment Required status code for its payment mechanisms, with transactions typically settling using stablecoins on Layer 2 networks like Base. The initiative is backed by the x402 Foundation, which includes major industry players such as Cloudflare, Google, and Visa, all of whom support the development of this protocol as an open standard.
