Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong (브라이언 암스트롱) predicted that combining stablecoins, the x402 payment protocol and AI could change how internet content is paid for and shake up monthly subscription-focused models.

On Oct. 29, blockchain media outlet U.Today reported that Armstrong wrote on X that the combination could enable usage-based micropayments and reduce friction in the payment process.

Armstrong particularly stressed changes to the online news subscription model. He explained that users would not need to pay a monthly subscription to read a single article, and that an AI agent could fetch only the needed articles on a user’s behalf and automatically pay for the content.

For example, if an article costs $0.25, the publisher could request payment and an AI agent, pre-authorised by the user, could approve a stablecoin payment worth $0.25.

x402 is an open payment protocol that Coinbase first unveiled in May 2025. The name comes from HTTP status code 402, "Payment Required". HTTP 402 has existed since the early days of the internet but has not been widely used for payments. Coinbase designed it to be used as an automated payment process among websites, applications and AI agents.

Related infrastructure is also being adopted. In June, Coinbase worked with Amazon Web Services to let publishers that use AWS CloudFront and a web application firewall monetise requests from AI agents via x402.

Cloudflare in September launched a "Monetisation Gateway" in private beta. Participating companies can use x402 to charge AI agents for access to websites, datasets and application programming interfaces.