x402 is a nascent protocol aiming to do something profound. It’s not a smart contract; it’s the payment rail for the agentic era of accelerated computing. At its core, x402 is a beautifully simple design: it extends the existing HTTP 402 standard, allowing any web service to be monetized instantly and natively. No friction. No intermediaries. We’re still early in the infrastructure age but the foundation is set. As the next wave of agent-powered applications emerges, adoption will accelerate rapidly. The future isn’t the app layer; it’s the agent layer. And it’s going to be powered by x402.