Coinbase’s x402 payment protocol has been upgraded to support universal ERC‑20 payments across any EVM-compatible chain, allowing developers to accept gasless payments in any ERC‑20 token, not just stablecoins like USDC and EURC. The upgrade relies on Uniswap’s Permit2 standard as a universal approval layer and Coinbase’s gas sponsorship extensions, so users can authorize token transfers with signatures while a facilitator or sponsor covers network gas, enabling “one-click” payments via HTTP 402 responses. x402 is an open payment protocol that embeds onchain payments directly into the web’s HTTP layer by reviving the “402 Payment Required” status code: when an API or content server requires payment, it responds with HTTP 402 plus payment instructions, the client signs a token transfer, and the facilitator settles it onchain before the server returns the resource. Previously, x402 was primarily optimized for stablecoins via EIP‑3009 (e.g., USDC, EURC); with this update, any ERC‑20 token can be used via Permit2 and gas sponsorship, and the @x402/evm SDK now supports all ERC‑20s on any configured EVM chain (such as Base, Polygon, Arbitrum, and others). This broadens x402 from a stablecoin-centric rail to a general-purpose payment layer for AI agents, APIs, and digital content, enabling machine-native microtransactions and pay-per-request models in whatever ERC‑20 asset users hold.

AI-generated background, compiled from web sources — not editorial content.

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