Cloudflare launched Monetization Gateway to allow businesses to charge for digital resources like APIs and datasets. The service enables creators to monetize content protected by Cloudflare’s network. The company opened a waitlist for the tool as part of its agentic Internet initiative. This strategy targets a future where AI agents represent the primary consumers of web content.
The system facilitates micropayments and usage-based pricing directly at the network edge. It revives the HTTP 402 Payment Required status code through a new open protocol called x402. Cloudflare is developing x402 with partners including Coinbase to settle payments using stablecoins. This expansion moves the company beyond security and performance into direct content monetization.