- Cloudflare’s Monetization Gateway enables stablecoin payments for websites, APIs, datasets and AI-powered tools.
- The platform uses the x402 protocol to help AI agents pay for digital services through automated transactions.
- Cloudflare aims to reshape online revenue models as AI traffic grows and traditional ads face new challenges.
Cloudflare launched its Monetization Gateway on Wednesday, introducing a platform that lets businesses accept stablecoin payments for online services such as websites, APIs, datasets and AI tools. The company also opened a waitlist for customers as it bets that AI agents will increasingly pay for digital content and services on their own.
Payments on the platform will settle in stablecoins through the x402 open protocol, while businesses can set usage-based pricing from a single dashboard. Cloudflare said the gateway is designed to handle payment verification without adding extra strain to websites.
Stablecoins Power a New Internet Economy
Cloudflare said the new platform addresses a growing challenge as AI agents change how people access online content. Unlike human users, AI software can retrieve information directly without viewing advertisements or paying for subscriptions, making it harder for website owners to earn revenue even as automated traffic increases.
The company said its gateway supports a usage-based payment model, allowing AI agents to pay small amounts for content or services as they are used. Transactions are settled in stablecoins such as Open USD and USDC, which Cloudflare said enable fast, low-cost payments. The company added that businesses can set their own pricing while avoiding the need to build and manage payment systems themselves.
x402 Brings Payments Into Web Requests
Cloudflare built the Monetization Gateway on x402, an open protocol based on the HTTP 402 “Payment Required” status code. The system allows software to request paid content, complete a transaction and receive access instantly, enabling businesses to charge for APIs, datasets, AI tools and other digital services without building their own billing infrastructure.
The company said businesses can choose from several pricing models, including charging for each API request, setting variable prices or requiring payments only from unauthenticated users. It added that the gateway will run across Cloudflare’s network of more than 330 cities to speed up payment verification and reduce delays.
Cloudflare expects AI agents to increasingly use digital wallets to pay for online content and services automatically. Chief Strategy Officer Stephanie Cohen said at CoinDesk’s Consensus conference in Miami that the rapid growth of AI-generated traffic is reshaping the economics of the internet. Chief Executive Matthew Prince said the next stage of the internet will rely on “pay-per-use, fractional payments, and microtransactions” to reward creators of original content.
Related: Stripe, Visa & Mastercard Back Partner-Governed Open USD Stablecoin
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