Today we’re rolling out native x402 support across CryptoSlate in partnership with Proofivy, a big step toward an internet where automated access can be paid for automatically, without clunky subscriptions, accounts, or “contact sales” loops.
What’s new, x402-powered access via Proofivy
AI systems read publishers every day, and until now, value has mostly flowed in one direction. Proofivy’s thesis is simple: route AI lookups through an x402 payment endpoint so each lookup can generate an instant stablecoin payment, with tooling that makes it practical for publishers to adopt.
That’s the integration we’re bringing live at CryptoSlate: a standards-based way for machines to access content and data with programmatic, per-request payment, while keeping the experience straightforward for humans.
A quick refresher: what is x402?
x402 is an open, HTTP-native payments standard that “activates” the long-reserved HTTP 402 “Payment Required” response so servers can request payment in a standardized, machine-readable way. It’s designed for instant, automatic stablecoin payments over normal web requests, including API calls and paywalled digital content.
The goal is dead simple: make paying for web resources feel as native as requesting them, especially for software and AI agents that need to transact autonomously.
How the x402 handshake works
At a high level, x402 turns payments into a standard request-response loop:
- Client requests a protected resource (an API endpoint, content, data, etc.).
- Server replies with HTTP 402 and includes payment requirements in a PAYMENT-REQUIRED header.
- Client constructs and signs a payment payload based on the listed requirements.
- Client retries the request with a PAYMENT-SIGNATURE header containing the signed payment payload.
- Server verifies and settles the payment, often using a facilitator service, then returns the resource with a PAYMENT-RESPONSE header containing settlement details.
The “facilitator” piece is important: it’s an optional but recommended service that verifies payment payloads and settles payments onchain, so publishers don’t need to run payment verification and blockchain plumbing themselves.
Coinbase’s documentation also notes the facilitator is non-custodial, it doesn’t hold funds, it verifies and executes based on client-signed payloads.
Why CryptoSlate is adopting x402
We’re adopting x402 because it cleanly solves a problem media and data providers have been living with for years, and it’s getting more urgent in an agentic internet:
- Fair value exchange for automated consumption: If a bot, crawler, or AI agent wants premium access, we can price it and get paid per use.
- Micropayments that fit APIs and agents: x402 is explicitly designed for pay-per-use models like API calls and paywalled content, without forcing subscriptions.
- Low friction for builders: Because it’s HTTP-native and stateless, there’s no special account system to integrate, just standard web requests with standardized payment headers.
- A standards path, not a one-off paywall: x402 is positioned as open and network-neutral, so the ecosystem can evolve without locking publishers or developers into a single vendor.
In short: this lets CryptoSlate participate in a more sustainable information economy, one where both humans and machines can access what they need, and where creators and publishers aren’t forced to give away the store to automation.
Try it out
Our x402 endpoint is https://library.proofivy.com/cryptoslate. Send a POST request, include the content URL or slug in the request body using the content_url key. For example:
POST(‘https://library.proofivy.com/cryptoslate', json={‘content_url': https://cryptoslate.com/bitcoin-investment-thesis-institutional-demand-macro-flow-guide/”})
All our articles from November 1, 2025 up to now are included. Price per article is 0.09 USDC at the moment, paid on Base blockchain. You can find a code example to provide to your AI agent here.
Where Coinbase fits into the equation
Coinbase is the original author and primary driver behind x402’s launch and tooling: they introduced x402 as an open standard for instant stablecoin payments over HTTP, published documentation, and shipped a reference implementation.
If this sounds familiar, it’s because we covered it when Coinbase first unveiled x402, including the obvious real-world use cases for publishers like per-article paywalls and for AI workflows like pay-per-inference services.
Coinbase also helped catalyze a broader ecosystem of collaborators, and we’re now seeing major infrastructure players actively engaging with the standard and its roadmap.
What’s next
This integration is the foundation. Next, we’ll be expanding x402-enabled access patterns across more of CryptoSlate’s machine-consumable surfaces, and we’ll be sharing practical guidance for developers building agents and apps that want compliant, paid, standards-based access to high-signal crypto data and reporting.
If you’re building with x402, or you want your agent to consume CryptoSlate in a clean, paid, standards-based way, reach out, we’d love to collaborate.
