What are the currencies of X402? Know the tokens compatible with the X402 protocol

The world of online payments was supposed to be revolutionized by cryptocurrencies, but still, paying with digital currency is a bit complicated and indirect. Most services still depend on credit cards or require connecting digital wallets with a few extra steps. This is where a new and innovative protocol called X402 comes into play. The X402 protocol, developed by Coinbase, aims to revive a forgotten Internet code, infrastructure Digital payment change forever.

This revolutionary protocol enables instant and scheduled payments directly on the web, paving the way for a new economy based on micro-transactions and machine-to-machine interactions. In this comprehensive article, we answer the key question of what x402 currencies are, how they work, and what the future holds for this emerging ecosystem and related projects, especially in the field of artificial intelligence. Join us to get to know the new generation of online payments.

What is the X402 protocol and how does it work?

Maybe you have experienced paying for an online service with digital currency; A process that often involves copying long wallet addresses, confirming transactions, and switching between multiple pages. The X402 protocol has come to consign this process to history. This protocol is an open-source payment standard introduced by major exchange Coinbase to enable instant and on-chain payments directly via standard web (HTTP) requests.

The main idea of ​​X402 is based on the revival of an old and unused HTTP status code called “402 Payment Required”. This code was reserved for future use in the early days of the Internet but never became a definitive standard. Now, Coinbase has redefined this code for the Web3 era, turning it into a powerful tool for charging for access to APIs, digital content, and AI services.

What is meant by x402 currencies?

A common misconception is that X402 itself is a separate cryptocurrency or blockchain. But this idea is not true. In fact, X402 is a protocol or standard for payments, not a token. Therefore, when we talk about “x402 coins”, we do not mean a specific category of cryptocurrencies, but rather a collection of x402 tokens that are used in the ecosystem of this protocol or that are aligned with its philosophy.

In simpler terms, X402 currencies are tokens that use this standard to create new revenue models, especially in the areas of micropayments and artificial intelligence-based economy. This protocol is inherently “chain-agnostic” (Chain-Agnostic), that is, it is not limited to a specific blockchain and can be implemented on different networks. However, due to its high speed and low fees, it often uses stablecoins like USDC over scalable blockchains.

Projects whose tokens are known as “X402 currency” usually share common goals. They seek to create a dynamic digital economy where machines, robots, and artificial intelligence agents can conduct financial transactions with each other independently and without human intervention. For example, an AI agent can use the X402 protocol to pay for access to the data of an oracle or the processing power of another service. The PING token was the first test sample that was fully minted through this protocol and demonstrated its potential.

What are the currencies of X402?

The X402 ecosystem is growing rapidly and various projects inspired by its vision are emerging. These projects are not necessarily built directly on the X402 protocol, but they all move in the direction of creating an automated, artificial intelligence-based digital economy. In the following, we introduce some of the most important tokens of this ecosystem.

1. Virtual protocol (VIRTUAL)

Virtualwalls protocol is a decentralized infrastructure on the Base network designed to create, deploy and monetize autonomous artificial intelligence agents. Virtualwalls Protocol uses a framework called GAME, which is short for “Generative Autonomous Multimodal Entities”, to allow agents to operate and generate income on various platforms (such as games and social media).

Virtual uses the x402 protocol as the main payment standard for its “Agent Trading Protocol”, which enables secure and automated transactions between agents and has led to a 5x increase in transactions. The VIRTUAL token acts as the base currency for paying fees and staking in this ecosystem.

2. EIGEN Cloud

An evolution of the EigenLayer re-staking protocol, EigenCloud provides a decentralized cloud platform for AI workloads and Verifiable Compute. The platform provides EigenAI for inferring verifiable large linguistic models (LLM) and EigenCompute for executing complex logic off-chain with on-chain security.

EigenCloud uses the x402 protocol to enable trust-less payments for its AI services, allowing agents to schedule payments for computing resources. EIGEN token is used for staking and security of EIGEN network.

3. flock

The Flock.io project is the first decentralized platform for training artificial intelligence models using federated learning and blockchain technology. The project allows users to collaboratively train and own AI models without sharing raw data and maintaining privacy.

Flak uses x402 to enable pay-per-use for access to its AI models and services. The FLOCK token is used to incentivize, govern and grow the ecosystem and aims to democratize artificial intelligence.

4. PAYAI Network

The PayAI network is a multi-chain facilitator for the x402 protocol and a decentralized store for artificial intelligence agents, built primarily on Solana but also extended to Base and other networks.

PEI acts as a direct competitor to the Coinbase Facilitation Service, processing a significant percentage of x402 transactions and playing a critical infrastructure role for this economy. The PAYAI token is a utility token used to reduce platform fees, increase listings’ visibility in the marketplace, and future governance.

5. Banker Coin (BNKR)

Banker is an advanced artificial intelligence agent that simplifies the process of buying and selling digital assets using natural language commands, directly on platforms such as Farcaster.

This project uses x402 to monetize its API and allows other agents to pay for each request (prompt) with BNKR tokens. The BNKR token is the official currency of this agent and the fees from the exchanges are used to support this token.

6. Open Server (SERV)

OpenServe is a no-code AI agent building toolkit that provides ready-made middleware and API connectors for developers building x402-based applications.

The platform directly supports developers to monetize their APIs based on a pay-per-request model using the x402 protocol, positioning itself as a key enabler for the supply side of the x402 economy. The SERV token is used in this ecosystem for payments and access to special services.

7. Ping

Ping token (PING) is known as the first practical experience and Proof-of-Concept for X402 protocol. The token was launched in October 2025 and allowed users to mine PING tokens by paying around $1 USDC via the X402 payment stream.

Although PING has no intrinsic utility and is primarily a meme coin, this successful experiment demonstrated how a simple web request can turn into an instant blockchain transaction. Ping acted as the catalyst that ignited the x402 narrative and brought widespread attention to the ecosystem.

8. Switch board protocol (SWTCH)

The Switchboard Protocol is a decentralized, multi-chain, permissionless Oracle network that allows users to create verifiable and customized data feeds for Web 3 applications.

Oracles play a vital role in providing real-world data for smart contracts and AI agents. Switchboard is working with x402 to create a decentralized data marketplace that allows AI agents to purchase real-time data using micropayments. The SWTCH token is used to govern and incentivize Oracle node operators.

9. Ambir Adx (ADX)

Ambire AdEx is a decentralized ad stack and protocol designed to reduce ad fraud and protect user privacy. The project’s API documentation mentions connecting to platforms like ChatGPT and using x402 for integrated payments.

The filing identifies AdEx as one of the early adopters considering x402 to monetize its advertising services and AI-related data for other agents. The ADX token is used for staking by validators to ensure network stability and for governance.

10. Heuristic AI (HEU)

Heurist AI is a decentralized artificial intelligence network that allows users to access and pay for artificial intelligence services. The payment model for each data query with USDC in this project is fully compatible with the x402 protocol.

This move makes Heurist a clear example of a DeAI (decentralized artificial intelligence) application that uses x402 as its main monetization rail. The HEU token is used to pay for AI services, staking to secure the network and monetize, and for governance.

The future and challenges facing X402 currencies

The X402 protocol is more than a clever use of an old HTTP code; This protocol is a bold attempt to build a new payment layer of the Internet, designed for automation, transparency and scalability. Future x402 It looks very bright, and its potential applications are much wider than those of today. Some key perspectives include:

• Machine-to-machine (M2M) payments: X402 is designed for an economy where automated agents, bots, and artificial intelligence models interact and transact with each other without human intervention.
• Web3 software services (Web3 SaaS): Instead of subscription models, developers can use a pay-per-use model for their APIs and tools, and users pay only for what they consume.
• Monetize content without ads: Content producers can receive very small fees for access to special content through X402 and do not need traditional paywalls.

However, this path will not be without challenges. One of the biggest obstacles is widespread adoption and standardization. For X402 to reach its full potential, it needs to be implemented by different platforms, tools and browsers. Another challenge is security and regulatory compliance. As automated payments increase, so does the risk of fraud and abuse. Ultimately, educating users and developers to understand the value of this protocol will be key to its long-term success.

The role of artificial intelligence (AI Agents) in X402 currencies

Perhaps the most exciting aspect of the X402 protocol is its unique synergy with AI Agents. This protocol acts as the financial layer for the emerging AI economy, giving machines economic independence. Until now, an AI agent was dependent on its human owner’s bank account or credit card to pay for a service.

But with X402, this limitation disappears. An AI agent can independently and instantly pay for access to a database, the processing power of another server, or the services of another expert AI agent. This capability opens new doors to innovation. Imagine an intelligent personal assistant that can find the best flight ticket, pay for it and finalize the reservation without your intervention.

Projects like PayAI and OpenServ are building marketplaces where AI agents can hire each other. In this ecosystem, X402 plays the role of blood vessels that circulate value between machines. This protocol not only facilitates transactions, but also provides the necessary trust for these interactions by creating a transparent and verifiable system on the blockchain platform. In short, the X402 is building the infrastructure upon which the automated economy of the future will be built.

Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

summary

The X402 protocol is an infrastructure innovation that has the potential to change the way value flows on the Internet. By integrating stablecoin-based payments directly into web requests, Coinbase is paving the way for programmatic and automated payments for APIs, content, and especially AI agents. This protocol no longer requires third-party payment gateways or user account logins, making transactions an intrinsic part of web functionality.

Although X402 is still in its early stages of development, with the support of major players like Coinbase and Cloudflare and the emergence of innovative projects in its ecosystem, X402 is quickly becoming a new standard for native Internet payments. X402 may be the invisible but critical protocol that powers the machine-to-machine economy of the future.

What do you think about the future of internet payments and the role of the X402 protocol? Do you think this technology can replace current models? Share your views with us.