Injective joins x402 Foundation to enhance payment standards for AI-native commerce

Injective has joined the x402 Foundation as a core member, bringing its sub-second transaction finality to a payment protocol that counts AWS, Google, Visa, and Mastercard among its premier backers. The x402 protocol is now live on Injective’s network, enabling USDC payments that settle in a single block. That block takes roughly 650 milliseconds to finalize. What x402 actually does The x402 protocol started life as a Coinbase project built around a piece of internet plumbing that’s been gathering dust for decades. HTTP 402 is a status code that was reserved for “Payment Required” when the web’s foundational protocols were designed, but it was never formally implemented. The x402 Foundation launched operations on July 14, 2025, under the governance of the Linux Foundation, with approximately 40 member organizations. The roster includes AWS and Google on the cloud side, Visa and Mastercard on the payments side, and crypto-native organizations like NEAR Foundation and Polygon Labs. The protocol’s core purpose is to standardize programmatic, internet-native payments, particularly for artificial intelligence applications. Instead of requiring accounts, API keys, or subscription plans, ...