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Block Joins x402 Foundation and Adds Bitcoin Lightning for AI-Agent Payments

September 25, 2026 at 00:31 EDT

AI Agents
Finance
Open Source

Block said on Sept. 24, 2026 that it has joined the x402 Foundation and contributed Bitcoin Lightning payments to x402, extending the open HTTP-based payment standard toward Bitcoin-settled AI-agent commerce. The announcement puts Block's Bitcoin work alongside a fast-growing agent-payment effort that the Linux Foundation moved into formal open governance in July.

Sept. 24, 2026 | Block

Bitcoin Lightning joins the x402 agent-payment stack

Block joined the x402 Foundation and contributed Lightning payments, adding a Bitcoin-native route to an open HTTP payment standard for agents, APIs and digital services.

75.41M

30-day transactions

$24.24M

30-day volume

members at July launch

Recent network activity is buyer-heavy

94.06K

buyers

22K

sellers

The buyer count is a little over four times the seller count in the latest 30-day activity window.

How a Lightning-backed x402 request works

Request

Agent asks for a paid resource.

402

Server returns a fresh invoice.

Pay

Client pays over Lightning.

Verify

Preimage proof unlocks access.

Why builders like it

It adds a Bitcoin-native rail for tiny agent purchases without forcing every API call through cards or stablecoins.

What still matters

Clients need wallets that expose preimages, and the protocol itself does not provide a refund path for overpayment.

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