ChainCatcher news, the Coinbase developer platform has announced the launch of a new open-source payment protocol x402, aimed at activating the long-reserved but unused HTTP 402 status code "Payment Required" on the internet, transforming it into a true on-chain payment layer suitable for API providers, content creators, contextual protocols, and other new scenarios.x402 allows servers to request payments, with clients (including humans and smart agents) responding instantly, supporting micropayments on a pay-per-use basis without cumbersome subscriptions. Coinbase stated that this protocol is expected to simplify Web3 payment processes and provide new infrastructure for the agent economy and on-chain services.