This partnership bridges two fast-growing worlds - blockchain and artificial intelligence. It gives AI agents the ability to pay and trigger workflows directly onchain.
For developers and investors, this means that artificial intelligence is no longer just smart. It’s financially independent. Coinbase’s developer platform called it a key step toward “economically expressive” AI. Here, digital agents can pay for services, verify results, and settle transactions without human input.
This integration isn’t just technical progress. It represents a shift toward real-world, automated transactions that cut through manual bottlenecks, opening the door for programmable economies where value moves instantly and intelligently.
AI That Pays for Itself
Through the new x402 endpoint, developers and AI agents can now use Chainlink’s off-chain verification and execution tools to complete payments in real time. In plain terms, AI systems can now buy, verify, and pay for onchain services as needed - all by themselves.
Aakar Shroff, VP of Product at Chainlink Labs, said he’s excited to see x402 become the first AI payment partner for CRE. “This will enable AI agents to directly trigger CRE workflows and pay workflow creators for the value they provide,” he explained.
We are excited to see @chainlink integrate an x402 endpoint into the Chainlink Runtime Environment.
This adds a native programmable payment path so developers and AI agents can pay and invoke CRE workflows directly onchain. 🧵 pic.twitter.com/E8tAssRlB9
— Coinbase Developer Platform🛡️ (@CoinbaseDev) November 4, 2025
Imagine an insurance company protecting farmers from drought. Using CRE, it can confirm rainfall data onchain. Then, through x402, the system triggers automatic payouts to farmers - no claim filed, no middleman, no waiting period. It’s a clear example of how blockchain-based automation can transform industries that rely on trust and verification.
Erik Reppel, coauthor of the x402 whitepaper, said it best: “Onchain payments will power the future of AI.” With onchain spending by AI agents projected to exceed $10 billion by 2030, according to Messari data, this integration comes right on time.
More About x402 Integrations
x402-IPFS is a new tool that lets developers upload and store files on the InterPlanetary File System (IPFS) easily through x402, powered by openx402. It removes the need for API keys or logins, making onchain data storage seamless and secure. Developers can connect ERC-8004 identity and reputation data directly to IPFS content hashes, keeping digital records transparent and verifiable.
Introducing x402-IPFS 📁
Upload any file to IPFS via x402, powered by @openx402With x402-IPFS, developers can now:
• Store data onchain without an api key or login
• Connect ERC-8004 identity & reputation data to IPFS content hashes
• Persist project metadata, proofs,… pic.twitter.com/HChCsD7JJD— Open x402 Facilitator (@openx402) November 4, 2025
They can also store important information like project metadata, proofs, proposals, or even AI agent memory and state. With x402-IPFS, builders can create decentralized launchpads—such as c402markets by pingobserver—to publish and verify data entirely without a central server. Best of all, it’s 100% gasless on Base and x402scan, making decentralized file management faster, cheaper, and more accessible for developers everywhere.