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BackBlock Adds Bitcoin Lightning Support to x402 Payment Protocol for AI Agents
Block Adds Bitcoin Lightning Support to x402 Payment Protocol for AI Agents
Developing
Cointelegraph2 hours agoTech1 min read

Block Adds Bitcoin Lightning Support to x402 Payment Protocol for AI Agents

blockbitcoinlightning

Quick Look

Block has joined the x402 Foundation and integrated Bitcoin Lightning into the x402 payment protocol to enable low-cost, high-volume transactions for AI agent commerce, aligning with Google, Microsoft, AWS, Coinbase, and Solana Foundation in supporting open standards for autonomous machine-to-machine payments.

AI-generated summary

Why It Matters

Block, formerly Square, has been advancing Bitcoin infrastructure through its Spiral initiative. The x402 protocol, launched in April under the Linux Foundation, aims to standardize payments for AI agents accessing digital services.

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Block has joined the x402 Foundation and added Bitcoin Lightning support to the payment protocol as the company expands its push into payments for AI agents.

Block on Thursday said Lightning is suited to the low-cost, high-volume payments that agentic commerce will depend on.

“Bringing Lightning to x402 is a concrete step toward making Bitcoin everyday money for people and the agents acting on their behalf, and we’re excited to help the industry build on it,” said Steve Lee, head of Block’s Bitcoin development initiative Spiral.

x402 is an open payment standard that enables AI agents and web services to autonomously pay for API access, data and digital services.

Block joins Google, Microsoft, Amazon Web Services and crypto companies including Coinbase and the Solana Foundation in backing the x402 Foundation, which launched in April under the Linux Foundation.

The move builds on Block’s participation in the Universal Commerce Protocol, an effort to enable AI-driven commerce for small businesses, according to the company’s announcement.

What to Watch

AI outlook — possibilities, not facts

  • More companies will join the x402 Foundation to support AI agent commerce standards

    Likely · Within months

  • Lightning Network will see increased adoption for micropayments in AI-driven transactions

    Possible · Within months

Open Questions

  • What specific use cases for AI agents will leverage Lightning via x402?
  • How will transaction volumes and costs compare to existing payment rails?
  • What governance model does the x402 Foundation follow?

Related Topics

block
PeopleSteve Lee
OrganizationsBlockx402 FoundationLinux FoundationGoogle
PlacesUnited States
Topicsbitcoinlightningx402ai agentspayment protocolspiral
This article was originally published by Cointelegraph.

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