L402 (formerly LSAT) is the Lightning-native payment protocol from Lightning Labs. x402 settles via EVM and Solana USDC flows. Both live on HTTP, both can gate APIs, but their economics and operational profiles differ.
| x402 | L402 | |
|---|---|---|
| Settlement layer | Bitcoin Lightning Network | Base, Solana, Polygon, Arbitrum, +more |
| Unit | Satoshis | USDC (stablecoin) by default |
| Volatility | Priced in BTC - moves with market | Dollar-stable |
| Integration | Requires LND or Lightning node | Stateless facilitator; no node required |
| Auth format | Macaroons (LSAT) | Signed payment proof header |
| Ecosystem | Bitcoin / Lightning-native | Broad crypto + AI-agent ecosystem |
| Best for | Bitcoin-first services and users | Agent APIs, stablecoin-priced micropayments |
See all comparisons, or jump to what x402 is.
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