Early plasmin degradation products (X fragments) of human fibrinogen were prepared in the presence of calcium-ions or EGTA, and purified on Sepharose 6B-CL. X fragments were characterized with respect to amino-terminal amino acids, polypeptide-chain composition, anticlotting properties and calcium-binding. Amino-terminal amino acids were alanine and tyrosine. The molecular weights of the chains were about 26 000, 58 000 and 48 000 for A alpha-, B beta- and gamma-chains, respectively. X fragments were about 6-times as potent in anticlotting behaviour as D fragments prepared in the presence of calcium ions. Calcium-binding properties were essentially identical to those of fibrinogen. No differences were observed between X fragments prepared in the presence of calcium ions and those prepared in the presence of EGTA. This indicates that the carboxy-terminal parts of the A alpha-chains of fibrinogen are not involved in calcium-binding and that differences in chain-remnants as observed in late plasmic degradation products (which depend on the presence of calcium ions or EGTA [23] in the incubation medium) are introduced beyond the stage of fragment X formation.