Polygon Leads Base in x402 Transactions

Polygon has surpassed Base network in daily x402 transaction counts for eight consecutive days. This pattern highlights growing activity around web-native payment protocols that enable automated and machine-to-machine value flows.

A broader industry shift toward standards such as x402, a payment protocol that adapts the HTTP “402 Payment Required” status code for blockchain-native commerce, is reflected in this sustained change in everyday on-chain activity, particularly among autonomous agents and API-driven services.

• What Does x402 Represent?
• Agentic Payments in Government-Recognized Digital Economy Models
• US Regulatory Perspective on Automated Crypto Transactions
• Daily x402 Transactions: Polygon vs Base in Numbers
• Why Networks Compete on Automated Payment Capacity?

What Does x402 Represent?

The term “402” originates from the HTTP 402 Payment Required status code, defined under official Internet Protocol standards. Although historically reserved and unused, HTTP 402 has increasingly been referenced in technical research as a conceptual foundation for programmatic payments on the web.

This makes x402 conceptually relevant to automated digital payment systems, even though its blockchain implementations remain outside formal government regulation.

Agentic Payments in Government-Recognized Digital Economy Models

Machine-to-machine payments, automated transactions, and programmable money have increasingly been recognised as emerging components of the digital economy by governments and intergovernmental organisations.

As a potential future payment infrastructure paradigm, the Bank for International Settlements (BIS), often referred to as the central bank of central banks, has explicitly discussed automated payment execution without human initiation. BIS research indicates that “over 75% of central banks are researching automated and programmable payment systems,” highlighting growing institutional interest in payment automation.

Polygon’s roadmap increasingly emphasises use cases where real-time, low-fee transactions are critical, such as automated commerce, API monetisation, and stablecoin settlement rails. This technical alignment may help explain why Polygon’s network now leads in daily x402 transaction counts, even compared with a Layer 2 network like Base, which has strong ecosystem adoption.

US Regulatory Perspective on Automated Crypto Transactions

In the United States, regulators primarily focus on risk management, compliance, and financial stability rather than transaction throughput. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) recognises that smart contracts, which may involve autonomous execution, are increasingly enabling automated financial logic across crypto networks.

While the SEC acknowledges this technological shift toward self-executing financial activity, it does not formally evaluate performance metrics such as x402 transaction volumes. However, if Polygon continues to outperform Base in daily x402 activity, it may attract additional developers and projects focused on real-time value exchange, including AI-driven and data-centric services.

Daily x402 Transactions: Polygon vs Base in Numbers

Although transparent, independently audited data is still emerging, Polygon-affiliated sources report that for eight consecutive days, x402 transactions on the Polygon network have exceeded those on Base, a major Ethereum-aligned Layer 2 network developed by Coinbase. At the same time, the White House has published an official policy directive supporting the responsible growth of digital assets and blockchain technologies.

Agentic Payments: @0xPolygon has overtaken Base for eight consecutive days in x402 transactions. pic.twitter.com/Jzft24rFLR

— Artemis (@artemis) January 27, 2026

While recent on-chain data shows strong stablecoin activity across multiple blockchains, including Polygon and Base, Polygon’s cumulative transaction history remains substantial, with billions of transactions processed to date across its PoS and sidechain infrastructure. This suggests the network already possesses a deep activity base, which may accelerate adoption of emerging payment standards such as x402.

Why Networks Compete on Automated Payment Capacity?

According to government and central bank research, the next phase of digital payments prioritises:

• Low transaction costs
• High transaction frequency
• Near-instant settlement
• Machine-initiated execution

These characteristics are outlined in multiple public-sector payment modernisation frameworks, including those published by the Federal Reserve. Polygon’s reported x402 activity aligns with this broader competitive landscape, even though the metric itself remains ecosystem-defined rather than regulator-defined.

Polygon’s lead over Base in daily x402 transactions highlights a broader shift toward automated, web-native payment infrastructure. As agentic payments and machine-to-machine value flows gain traction, network performance and cost efficiency are becoming decisive factors.

While regulatory frameworks continue to evolve, real-world usage patterns increasingly signal where developer and ecosystem momentum is forming. Polygon’s recent x402 activity suggests it is positioning itself as a key settlement layer for the next phase of programmable digital payments.

If you identify any issues in this article or notice missing information, please feel free to contact us at team@etherworld.co for clarifications or updates.

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