This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by Zerod0wn Gaming
Hey devs, I just came across Oasis Network’s new protocol called x402, and it's a really elegant way to do micropayments natively over HTTP. 🚀
Here’s a breakdown:
The idea builds on the old HTTP status code 402 (“Payment Required”), which was originally meant for paid web requests — but never really used. Oasis is bringing it back.
With x402, when a client (human or AI agent) requests something (API, content, etc.), the server can respond with HTTP 402, giving the payment details (which token, amount, etc.).
The client signs a permit-style transaction (using EIP-3009, transferWithAuthorization) instead of manually handling gas or private keys.
A “facilitator” service verifies and then settles the payment on-chain. The client just sees the normal HTTP request-response after that.
From your perspective, it’s just another API call. But under the hood, it’s real crypto + stablecoin settlement.
Why this matters:
Micropayments become viable: Because gas costs are low-ish and x402 is pay-per-request, you can charge for super small units (e.g., $0.001 / API call).
Agent economy-ready: AI agents can autonomously pay for services (API / compute / data) without humans managing the wallet or paying upfront.
Composable: Agents can pay each other, or pay for resources per use. Very fluid economics.
Privacy + trust: When combined with ROFL and ERC-8004, you get identity, reputation, and secure execution, all in a trustless way.
Use case example:
Oasis built a demo where an LLM (e.g., for document summarization) runs inside a ROFL enclave — and users pay cents for each summary via x402.
If you’re building agent-first apps, this could completely change how you monetize or handle payments.
Curious to hear:
Who’s thinking of integrating x402 into their API?
Anyone building AI agents that could use this directly?
full thread: https://oasis.net/blog/x402-https-internet-native-payments
This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by Zerod0wn Gaming
Zerod0wn Gaming | Sciencx (2025-11-16T13:02:12+00:00) x402: Internet-Native Payments for the Modern Web. Retrieved from https://www.scien.cx/2025/11/16/x402-internet-native-payments-for-the-modern-web/
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