The x402 protocol is trending! It has silently processed 50 million transactions, averaging $0.20 per transaction, with the median directly reaching $0.01. Micro-payments are no longer just a concept but are now a real main track in operation. AI Agents need to buy APIs, rent computing power, and tune data, with thousands of small settlements per day. The traditional banking process of account opening, form filling, and waiting three days for funds to arrive is simply not feasible for software to handle.

Self-operating software requires a purely code-driven financial system. No KYC, no customer service calls, no court disputes—only the deterministic execution and final settlement of smart contracts, operating 24/7 without pause. Currently, only blockchain can meet this standard.

Many projects now aim to develop x402, but their protocol paths vary. For example, Coinbase’s approach is like a high-speed toll station—integrated quickly, low barriers, but you have to trust it won’t crash, freeze transactions, or change rules. Essentially, it’s still a centralized intermediary sitting between each transaction; if something goes wrong, there’s no appeal process. GOAT Network takes a different route: cryptographic verification and settlement, without relying on company guarantees. Identity and reputation are directly on-chain, anchored via the ERC-8004 protocol, and it can operate across multiple chains. Agents shouldn’t be locked into a single ecosystem.

ERC-8004 gives AI agents a globally usable digital ID. Agents are no longer just cold addresses but have credibility records and behavioral histories—like a “digital life form.” Similar to Alipay’s Sesame Credit—