Base, the Ethereum layer-2 network incubated by Coinbase, recorded 3.1 million transactions using the x402 protocol over a 30-day period. The transactions were initiated by AI agents paying for internet services with wallets and stablecoins—a fresh data point in the emerging world of agentic commerce.
The x402 Transaction Boom
The figure, disclosed by Base, covers a snapshot of activity from an unspecified recent month. Each transaction represents an AI agent using the x402 protocol to settle payments for web-based services. The protocol allows machines to send small-value payments directly to service providers without human intervention.
AI Agents as Paying Customers
Instead of relying on credit cards or manual authentication, these agents operate their own wallets and hold stablecoins. When they need to access an API, fetch data, or run a compute task on the internet, they trigger an x402 payment. The system verifies the agent's wallet balance, deducts the stablecoin fee, and grants access—all in seconds.
Agentic Commerce Gains Traction
This activity fits into a broader trend the industry calls agentic commerce: software agents that shop, negotiate, and pay for services autonomously. While still early, the 3.1 million transactions on a single network suggest the model is moving beyond experiments. Base's infrastructure—fast blocks, low fees, and stablecoin support—makes it a natural fit for these microtransactions.
No breakdown was provided on the types of internet services purchased or the average transaction value. The data also does not indicate how many distinct AI agents were involved. What's clear is that machines are now regular customers on the network, paying their own way.
Base has not announced whether it will publish similar metrics monthly or if it plans to tailor more features for agentic commerce. For now, the 3.1 million transactions offer a glimpse into a payment system where the buyer isn't human.
