August 14, 2025
5 min read
nikoletas@diplomacy.edu
Developers at Coinbase are envisioning a future where artificial intelligence (AI) agents become the primary users of the Ethereum network. This innovative approach leverages a long-dormant web standard to enable real-world cryptocurrency payments, facilitating seamless transactions for autonomous AI entities.
The technology powering this vision is the HTTP 402 ‘Payment Required’ status code, a web standard that has been in place for over three decades. Coupled with Ethereum Improvement Proposal 3009, this innovation allows for automated stablecoin transfers, enabling AI agents to conduct transactions without direct human intervention. Early development experiments are already demonstrating the practical application of this concept, suggesting a transformative impact across various industries. Potential use cases include self-driving vehicles managing their own operational costs and AI models generating content on demand, all powered by Ethereum's secure and transparent settlement layer.