Browserbase lets software pay for a browser session over HTTP with the USDC cryptocurrency, with no API key or billing setup. Its x402 announcement, made with Coinbase, says an AI agentAn AI system that doesn't just answer once but works toward a goal in a loop — taking actions, reading the results, and deciding what to do next.Full definition → can discover the service, see its pricing and pay per session programmatically. The integration documentation describes three steps: a request to the endpoint returns payment requirements (the HTTP 402 status), the caller's wallet signs a USDC authorization, and the signed payment is exchanged for a browser connection URL. The caller still needs an EVM-compatible wallet holding USDC on the Base network. Browserbase's statements that this works without human approval or credential management are its own framing of the feature.
Terms in this piece · Glossary
x402 — A payment protocol built on HTTP's long-unused 402 status code, letting a server charge per request so software agents can pay without an account.
AI agent — An AI system that doesn't just answer once but works toward a goal in a loop — taking actions, reading the results, and deciding what to do next.
