Block Adds Bitcoin Lightning to x402 Payment Standard for AI Commerce
In brief
- Block added Bitcoin Lightning support to x402, an open payment standard for AI agents and web services.
- x402 enables autonomous payments for API access, data, and digital services between AI agents and providers.
- Block joins Google, Microsoft, AWS, Coinbase, and Solana Foundation backing x402 Foundation, launched April 2025.
Lightning for AI commerce
Block joined the x402 Foundation and integrated Bitcoin Lightning into the payment protocol. The move positions Lightning as a settlement layer for agent-to-agent transactions. Block stated that Lightning's low-cost, high-volume design matches the payment profile agentic commerce will require.
Steve Lee, head of Block's Bitcoin development initiative Spiral, framed the integration as foundational infrastructure. "Bringing Lightning to x402 is a concrete step toward making Bitcoin everyday money for people and the agents acting on their behalf, and we're excited to help the industry build on it," he said in a statement.
Backing from tech and crypto leaders
The x402 Foundation launched in April under the Linux Foundation and has assembled backing from major technology and crypto companies. Block joins Google, Microsoft, Amazon Web Services and crypto companies including Coinbase and the Solana Foundation in supporting the standard.
Block's move builds on its participation in the Universal Commerce Protocol, an effort to enable AI-driven commerce for small businesses. The company has positioned itself at the intersection of Bitcoin infrastructure and AI commerce adoption.
