Block Joins x402 Foundation, Contributes Bitcoin Lightning Payments

Block's contribution matters less for what Lightning adds technically than for who is adding it: a payments company with consumer reach joining a standards body already backed by hyperscalers and major chains. That combination suggests agent-to-agent payments are being treated as shared plumbing rather than a competitive wedge, which shapes which rails get built first. The open question is whether Lightning's inclusion signals genuine multi-rail neutrality from the foundation, or simply a broader tent for the same settlement assumptions.