Let's talk about the V2 upgrade of the X402, and I'll share a few points that I think are key:
1) Wallet identity + reusable sessions
In version V1, each API call had to go through the complete on-chain transaction process. If an agent continuously initiated payment requests, it would generate a large number of on-chain transactions. Coupled with the latency and gas accumulation, it simply could not run in some high-frequency application scenarios.
V2 will soon introduce the Sign-In-With-X (SIWx) mechanism, where the agent verifies the wallet identity once, and subsequent calls can reuse the session directly without needing to confirm on-chain every time. This essentially upgrades x402's pay-per-use model to a subscription membership system, lowering the performance and technical barriers required for high-frequency scenarios.
2) CAIP standard multi-chain compatibility
V1 primarily relies on the Base + EIP3009 USDC combination mechanism. Other chains can only connect by encapsulating, bridging, or relaying, which significantly increases the technical complexity.
V2 can achieve unified multi-chain asset identification through CAIP. Solana, Monad, Avalanche, other L2, and even traditional fiat payment channels can be seamlessly integrated, making the x402 protocol more open and convenient to be integrated by more chains. This adjustment is necessary because x402 cannot remain at the protocol level. Ultimately, it will be a competition among multi-chain ecosystems. Only by combining the first-mover advantage of Base, the high performance of Solana, and the liquidity of BSC to the maximum extent can it succeed.
3) Extensions Extensibility Mechanism
V2 introduces the concept of Extensions, allowing new features to be added without forking the main protocol. Features such as Discovery auto-discovery, dynamic payTo routing, and various future innovative features can all be added as Extensions.
This actually lays the groundwork for infrastructure and application innovation at the Facilitator and Provider levels. Devs can explore various payment model innovations based on the x402 protocol, including dynamic pricing, multi-party revenue sharing, conditional payments, delayed settlement, and so on.
4) Plug-in SDK + Automatic Discovery Mechanism
The V1 integration experience is still at the manual operation level. Modifying the SDK source code and manually matching the Facilitator list can be done in small-scale application scenarios, but it becomes troublesome once it is scaled up.
V2 has a redesigned SDK architecture. Facilitator can automatically crawl and index the metadata of the x402 service, and pricing, routing, and support chain information are all automatically synchronized. In essence, the technical barrier has been further lowered, and the open environment is more user-friendly.
above.
V1 ran a large number of transactions, which only proved the feasibility of the x402 narrative, but also exposed many problems, such as a closed ecosystem, high integration barriers, and unfriendly deployment for high-frequency applications. Clearly, the rapid advancement of V2 is aimed at solving the problem of further large-scale deployment of x402.
Now, all that's missing is some interesting and innovative gameplay!
