World launches AgentKit beta to link World ID with x402

World released AgentKit in beta on Tuesday, a developer toolkit that lets World-verified users delegate their World ID credentials to autonomous AI agents operating on Coinbase’s x402 protocol. The tool is designed to let agents present verifiable signals that they are backed by a real person while keeping identity details private.

AgentKit connects World ID, a cryptographic system for proving unique human identity, with x402, a payments and agent-management protocol developed by Coinbase. Developers can use the toolkit to build agents that both authenticate as representing a verified human and transact through x402’s payment rails.

World said a more advanced version of AgentKit will arrive alongside an updated World protocol. The company noted the beta label reflects ongoing testing and that features and security safeguards may change as developers try the toolkit.

World ID was created to prove users are unique humans without exposing personal information. The system has used a hardware device called the Orb to capture biometric inputs for registration, a method that has drawn criticism from some privacy advocates. World reports it has verified nearly 18 million people across more than 160 countries.

Coinbase developed x402 as a payments and agent-management layer for AI agents. Around the release of x402 V2, the protocol reported processing more than 100 million payments. Coinbase Developer Platform has been adding features that let agents control their own funds through integrated wallets. Other companies have integrated x402 to enable direct billing of autonomous agents using USDC on Base, and Cloudflare and Coinbase established the x402 Foundation in September to promote adoption of the protocol.

Erik Reppel, head of engineering at Coinbase Developer Platform and founder of x402, called payments the “how” of agentic commerce and identity the “who,” saying the integration gives developers a complete trust stack for agent payments and human verification.

World and Coinbase said future updates will expand functionality and refine how agents interact with platforms, payment rails and identity systems as the technology is tested in real-world developer environments.