Key Focus on ERC-8004 and x402 Protocols for Autonomous Agent Commerce

The Ethereum Foundation (EF) is actively developing a roadmap for its decentralized AI initiative, dAI, with a target of 2026. According to a statement from EF dAI Team leader Davide Crapis, the foundation is working to establish Ethereum as the global, decentralized settlement layer for artificial intelligence.

The core objective is to create an environment where autonomous AI agents can interact with digital identity, assets, and data under publicly auditable rules on the blockchain. This vision aims to provide a transparent and secure framework for AI-driven collaboration and transactions.

Crapis highlighted the growing community and progress surrounding two key technical standards, ERC-8004 and x402. He described these protocols as emerging neutral specifications for what he termed “agentic commerce.” To guide the project’s next steps, the team is actively seeking input from developers building applications with these standards to determine which areas should be prioritized for future support.