Cloudflare opened a waitlist on July 1, 2026 for its Monetization Gateway, a product that lets customers charge for web pages, datasets, APIs, and MCP tools using usage-based pricing settled in stablecoins over the x402 protocol.
TLDR Key Points
- Cloudflare’s Monetization Gateway waitlist is now open for existing Cloudflare customers.
- Charges settle in stablecoins via the x402 open protocol, and sellers can redeem stablecoins for fiat in their bank account.
- Pricing details, supported chains, and a general availability timeline have not been disclosed.
Cloudflare Opens Waitlist for Its Stablecoin Monetization Gateway
The gateway is designed to sit in front of any resource already behind Cloudflare, letting sellers attach usage-based pricing to individual endpoints. Cloudflare said in its announcement that sellers will be able to require payment in stablecoins, with the initial product settling charges over x402, the HTTP 402-based open payment protocol. For related coverage, see HyperLiquid Whale Deposits $2M USDC, Opens 31,255 CL Long With 1x Leverage.
Sellers who accumulate stablecoins through the gateway will be able to redeem them for equivalent fiat currency in their bank account. Paid-endpoint rules can be configured in the Cloudflare dashboard or managed as code through the Cloudflare API and Terraform.
Cloudflare cited its network footprint across 330+ cities as the infrastructure base for the gateway, positioning the product as something that scales with Cloudflare’s existing global edge rather than a standalone service.
The announcement builds on groundwork Cloudflare laid with Coinbase in September 2025, when the two companies announced plans to launch the x402 Foundation to standardize internet-native digital payments for website owners, developers, and creators.
The x402 protocol uses HTTP 402 Payment Required responses so that clients, including AI agents, can programmatically pay for APIs and digital content with stablecoins directly over HTTP. The protocol’s website reports 75.41 million transactions over the last 30 days, with $24.24 million in volume.
What the Gateway Could Mean for Stablecoin Payments and Monetization
The Monetization Gateway is notable because it embeds stablecoin settlement into the infrastructure layer that already handles traffic routing, caching, and security for millions of websites. Rather than requiring sellers to integrate a separate payment processor, Cloudflare is making monetization a configuration option at the edge.
For developers and API providers, the product could simplify charging for machine-to-machine requests, particularly as AI agents increasingly consume web services. The x402 protocol’s design around HTTP-native payment flows means agents can discover a price, pay, and receive a response in a single request cycle.
Cloudflare had previously introduced plans for a USD-backed NET Dollar stablecoin. Some secondary coverage has linked NET Dollar to the Monetization Gateway, but the official July 1 announcement does not state that NET Dollar powers the gateway at launch. The distinction matters for users evaluating which stablecoin assets will be supported.
The broader stablecoin market continues to provide the payment rails the gateway depends on. USDC currently trades at $0.9996 with a market cap above $73 billion, reflecting the scale of stablecoin liquidity available for settlement.
What to Watch Next as the Waitlist Develops
Cloudflare has not published pricing details for the gateway, has not disclosed which blockchain networks or stablecoin assets will be supported at launch, and has not indicated when the waitlist will convert to general availability. These are the key disclosures that will determine whether the product is viable for production workloads.
The waitlist stage typically signals staged onboarding, meaning early access customers will likely shape the product before broader rollout. Developers already managing infrastructure through Cloudflare’s API and Terraform integrations may find the transition relatively seamless once access opens.
Regulatory clarity around stablecoin frameworks in major markets will also factor into adoption. The gateway’s fiat redemption feature, which lets sellers convert stablecoins to bank deposits, suggests Cloudflare is designing for users who need fiat settlement rather than only crypto-native participants.
Near-term milestones to monitor include supported chain announcements, fee structure disclosure, and whether Cloudflare connects the gateway to its broader infrastructure products like Workers AI. The product’s trajectory will depend on whether usage-based stablecoin pricing attracts meaningful seller adoption beyond the crypto ecosystem.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or investment advice. Cryptocurrency and digital asset markets carry significant risk. Always do your own research before making decisions.
