Awakening code that has been dormant for 26 years: Is x402 a technological singularity or a meme frenzy?

Author: Lacie, Bitget Wallet Researcher

I. Introduction: The "Payment Gap" Between Web2 and Web3

The current digital ecosystem is being torn apart by the inherent conflict between Web2 and Web3. On the one hand, Web2's convenient payments (such as Apple Pay and WeChat Pay) are firmly locked within a "walled garden" by centralized platforms and geographical boundaries; on the other hand, while Web3 promises a globally open, permissionless financial future, it has become a "technological island" that deters mainstream users due to its drastic price fluctuations and complex user experience.

The gap between "convenience" and "openness" has long burdened Web3 with the labels of "difficult to implement" and "speculative hype." Against this backdrop, an open protocol called x402 has come into view.

Its proposed solution is quite innovative: instead of starting from scratch, it attempts to revitalize a dormant internet underlying standard—HTTP 402 (Payment Required)—that has been dormant for 26 years. [Image: x402 official website homepage introduction image] [Source: x402 official website (https://www.x402.org/)] Can this "reactivation" of the internet's underlying protocol standard be the key to bridging the aforementioned gap? Does it foreshadow the birth of a native, open Web payment layer, fundamentally reshaping the way value flows on the internet? Bitget Wallet will provide an in-depth analysis of this topic in this article.

II. A Belated Breakout: What is x402, and why is it only now gaining popularity?

x402 is an open protocol developed and open-sourced by Coinbase in May 2025. Its core goal is to activate the long-unused HTTP 402 status code, transforming it into an internet-native, permissionless payment mechanism, ultimately establishing a channel between Web2 applications and Web3 value networks.

However, an interesting phenomenon is that although the x402 protocol was launched as early as May, it only suddenly became popular after five months of silence. In fact, the 402 status code itself is not a "new invention" in the crypto world, but rather a reserved code in the HTTP protocol from the 1990s.

So why has an "old standard" and a "not-so-new" protocol only recently sparked heated discussions in the market? The table below outlines the key timelines from the birth of x402 to its explosive popularity, which helps us understand the facts behind this "delayed explosion".

Table: Timeline of the Birth and Application of x402 (as of October 28, 2025)

Data Source: Bitget Wallet, compiled from publicly available data (transaction data from x402scan)

As shown in the timeline above, the evolution of x402 reveals the following key facts:

• First, x402 is based on the HTTP 402 of 1999.



Table: Summary Table of HTTP Status Codes

Data Source: Compiled by Bitget Wallet

In this vast codebase, the 402 (Payment Required) status code stands out. From its inception, it envisioned a protocol-native micropayment method, aiming for instant payments that were "seamlessly integrated, like loading an image"—without intermediaries or delays. However, as the internet economy shifted towards advertising, platforms, and complex credit card forms, the concept of the 402 status code was shelved, and the standard has never been widely adopted.



Figure: Comparison of existing intelligent agent payment process and x402 per-use charging

Data source: x402 White Paper

The deeper significance lies in the fact that x402 allows a single HTTP request to simultaneously possess the dual attributes of "data transmission" and "value transmission." This truly integrates the dimension of "value" into the information protocol at the very beginning of the Internet, and at the application level, it has the potential to truly revolutionize the traditional WEB system that has been used for more than 20 years.



At the same time, this may answer a long-standing pain point for Web3: how can the crypto world empower entities and change the world? For a long time, the crypto world has been criticized for lacking truly mainstream applications, and x402 may become such a singularity—it's not starting from scratch, but rather attempting to "inject" Web3's value settlement capabilities into the vast Web2 ecosystem, becoming a true bridge connecting the two worlds—this is the underlying logic behind the protocol's widespread popularity and discussion. However, behind this optimistic vision, the challenges facing x402 cannot be ignored. First, there are concerns from within the HTTP protocol itself. HTTP 402 is still a "non-standardized" reserved code. As shown in MDN Web Docs (the developer documentation repository), it is defined as "reserved but undefined." This means it has not been fully accepted by mainstream Web standards and has compatibility issues with underlying protocols. Therefore, the current implementation of x402 largely relies on "custom HTTP headers" like X-PAYMENT, rather than the true standard 402 status code, casting a shadow over its long-term standardization. [Image: HTTP 402 status code has been pointed out for compatibility issues by the developer documentation library] Secondly, the subsequent attitudes of many traditional internet giants remain to be seen. Despite giants like Google announcing their adoption of the protocol within the AI ​​framework, x402's advocacy of "bypassing platforms and peer-to-peer payments" essentially stands in opposition to the internet giants who currently profit from "walled gardens" and payment commission models. The combination of x402 and AI Agents is more like a "declaration of war" on the traditional internet ecosystem—whether the giants genuinely accept it or merely use it temporarily remains to be seen. Finally, and most alarmingly, is the potential backlash from the speculative bubble. Since the x402 protocol itself hasn't issued any tokens, all tokens currently associated with it (such as PING) are experimental projects called memes. While the meme craze has objectively boosted x402's popularity, it also raises serious questions: will this movement fall into a false prosperity of "speculative narratives," ultimately undermining genuine technological ideals when the bubble bursts? This is a persistent dilemma the crypto world struggles to escape. (The image below shows the x402 ecosystem map)



Figure: x402 Ecosystem Overview

Source: X @henloitsjoyce

VI. Conclusion: Beyond the Noise, What is the Value?

x402 provides an extremely pragmatic solution for AI Agent payments—it doesn't require users to abandon their existing internet, but rather attempts to complete the key upgrade of "payment" at the most basic protocol level.

x402 provides an extremely pragmatic solution for AI Agent payments—it doesn't require users to abandon their existing internet, but rather attempts to complete the key upgrade of "payment" at the most basic protocol level.