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Overview

Why ampersend?​

  • Agents are multiplying, but payments are invisible and unmanageable.

  • x402 unlocks seamless crypto payments, but primitives alone are not enough.

  • ampersend is the default extension of x402:

    • Makes payments visible and manageable.
    • Provides budgeting, observability, and swarm-level controls.
    • Enables enterprises to adopt agent-to-agent payments with compliance and oversight.

Unique Value Proposition​

ampersend introduces tooling that does not exist yet and will be necessary as x402, A2A, and MCP adoption grows. While no one is explicitly asking for it today, every team building with agents will need visibility, control, and automation for payments once usage scales. ampersend fills that inevitable gap.

The Problem​

Why do agents need funds?

  • To pay for services like data access, specialized task execution, and potentially general purchases (e.g., booking travel for a user).

What actions require funds?

  • Calling APIs via MCP.
  • Asking another agent to perform a task.
  • Blockchain interactions such as DeFi trading.

Will payments always be agent-to-agent?

  • Primarily yes, either agent-to-agent (A2A) or agent-to-server (MCP).
  • Some agent-to-user transactions may occur, but those would likely be direct wallet transfers rather than x402.

Core Pillars​

  1. Fast

    • HTTP-native stablecoin settlement via x402.
    • Multi-chain and stablecoin support.
    • Lightning-fast microtransactions.

  2. Observable

    • Real-time dashboards of agent-to-agent flows.
    • Unified reporting across agent groups.
    • Verifiability is handled at the blockchain layer.

  3. Controllable

    • Budgeting and spend caps at agent or swarm level.
    • Role-based access for dev, ops, finance.
    • API hooks for compliance and accounting.

  4. Discoverable

    • Directory of agents with searchable payment histories.
    • Filters for reliability, efficiency, and task success.
    • Leaderboards and trending agents.
    • Integrates with Bazaar and ERC-8004.

  5. Reputation (Future)

    • Trust scores based on verified payments and successful outcomes.
    • Rating system tied to payment performance.
    • Proof-of-delivery before funds release.

How It Works​

ampersend SDK: Making Agents x402 Compliant​

  1. Create your agent using your preferred framework (LangGraph, CrewAI, Google ADK, etc.). The agent can run locally or on a server.

  2. Make your agent x402 compliant using ampersend SDK:

    • For sellers: Add payment requirements to your agent using SDK components (e.g., make_x402_before_agent_callback for Python, withX402Payment for TypeScript)
    • For buyers: Integrate SDK client components (e.g., X402RemoteA2aAgent for Python, X402McpClient for TypeScript) to automatically handle payments when calling paid agents

  3. Deploy your agent as a paid service or connect it to paid services. The SDK handles all payment flows automatically.

ampersend Platform: Managing Agent Payments​

  1. Create an agent wallet/account in ampersend. Link your x402-compliant agent to the platform.

  2. Configure the wallet with an agent key that aligns with dashboard budgets and controls.

  3. Use the dashboard to:

    • Track spend and earnings across all your agents
    • Configure auto top-ups, spending limits, and service allowlists
    • Automate flows between user accounts and agent accounts
    • Collect funds automatically for service providers
    • View analytics on agent behavior and payment flows

Note: A future improvement could be 1-click deploy of an agent template directly in ampersend, but that is beyond MVP.

User Control​

MVP controls: Daily, monthly, and per-transaction limits.

Future possibilities to explore via user interviews:

  • Restricting networks or chains (post-MVP, since MVP will only run on Base).
  • More granular controls for compliance or accounting.