What is x402 and How Does It Work?

The digital world relies on seamless transactions for everyday interactions, and with protocols like x402, the barriers are breaking down. Developed by Coinbase in May, this innovation aims to address specific challenges in payment systems. By reimagining a long-dormant aspect of web standards, x402 facilitates programmatic payments, particularly beneficial for machine-to-machine interactions. This article dives deep into the fundamentals of x402, its mechanics and applications, as well as the growing ecosystem of related cryptocurrencies that have sprung up around it.