Coinbase’s x402 protocol, designed to facilitate autonomous online transactions by AI agents, has witnessed an astonishing 10,000% increase in transaction activity within one month.

The x402 system counteracts what Coinbase deems the initial flaw of the internet by revamping the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) with payment capabilities, allowing seamless transactions in stablecoins without the need for credit cards. Users simply make a request, receive a HTTP 402 ‘Payment Required’ prompt, and send a signed payment, with x402 managing the verification.

Between October 14 and 20, close to 500,000 x402 transactions took place, marking a staggering 10,780% increase compared to previous weeks, as reported by Dune Analytics data.

On Friday alone, the protocol set a new record with 239,505 transactions, while Thursday recorded $332,000 in transaction volume.

Tech VC firm a16z highlighted the rise of agentic AI in its 2025 State of Crypto report, predicting that autonomous transaction volumes could soar to $30 trillion by 2030. Without human involvement in managing API calls, these AIs can facilitate self-driving taxis financing their operations with stablecoins, and apps that maintain data on stablecoins automatically.

AI agents are already trading crypto autonomously: analyzing market data, executing orders, and optimizing portfolios in real time without human assistance.

CoinGecko Integrates x402 Tokens as a New Category

Developers are now utilizing the x402 framework to create tokens directly, resulting in a surge of memecoin launches. Notably, CoinGecko has begun monitoring x402 tokens, which has seen the ecosystem expand to a market cap nearing $180 million, a rise of 266% in just 24 hours.

Ethereum: The Optimal Platform for HTTP 402

Leffew and Murr assert that Ethereum’s trustless layer makes it the best blockchain for implementing HTTP 402, enhancing invoice efficiency and chargeback processes. They remarked, “They need atomic payments, programmable policies, and composable wallets. Ethereum and stablecoins give them exactly that.”