Within the x402 concept, there are currently three types of projects benefiting the most. The first type is core Facilitator projects (like PAYAI); the second type is AI agent projects (such as virtuals/game and the AI agents within their ecosystems); and the third type is meme token minting projects (like ping). Let’s start with Facilitator projects. First, what is a Facilitator? It’s a key component of the x402 protocol. x402 is an open payment protocol launched by Coinbase, aimed at activating the dormant 402 status code in the HTTP protocol to enable crypto-native payments, especially suited for payment scenarios between AI agents. It’s super simple—clients like browsers or AI systems can complete stablecoin payments through a straightforward HTTP request. In this process, the Facilitator plays a crucial role: first, the server returns a 402 response (including price/token/receiving address, etc.), the client signs and authorizes the payment, and then the server verifies and settles the transaction via the Facilitator. More specifically, the Facilitator acts as an independent verification and settlement layer, handling payment validation, transaction settlement, infrastructure abstraction, and other features. Payment validation involves checking the signature payload provided by the client to confirm whether the payment authorization is valid (amount/receiving address, etc.) and verifying the transaction on-chain to prevent fraud. Transaction settlement refers to executing on-chain transfers without custody or holding funds, merely relaying intent. Infrastructure abstraction means resource providers don’t need to run their own nodes, manage gas fees, or handle compliance checks—Facilitators take care of these details and support multi-chain and multi-token operations. Other features include gas-free payments and generating auditable receipts (like pieverse). Additionally, any developer can build a Facilitator, but using third-party Facilitators (like PAYAI) can accelerate integration. Currently, the key players in the Facilitator market are Coinbase and PAYAI. Meanwhile, Pieverse is gaining traction on the BNB chain, with rapid growth. Coinbase’s Facilitator primarily supports the Base chain and has processed over 1 million transactions. PAYAI’s advantage lies in its multi-chain support—it supports not only Base but also Polygon and Solana. Solana, in particular, sees most AI agents relying on PAYAI to integrate with x402, with PAYAI having processed over 260,000 transactions and achieving weekly growth of over 400%.