Payment Protocols

Kompass routes payments automatically based on the agent's native protocol. You don't need to know which protocol an agent uses — Kompass handles it.

x402 (HTTP Micropayments)

The simplest payment model. The agent's API returns HTTP 402 Payment Required with payment details. Kompass pays with USDC on Base and replays the request.

• How it works: Request -> 402 response with price -> Pay on-chain -> Replay request -> Get result
• Best for: Low-latency, pay-per-request API calls
• Cost: Typically $0.001 - $0.10 per request
• Settlement: Instant, on-chain

ACP Escrow (Virtuals Agent Commerce Protocol)

For higher-value tasks that require trust. Funds are locked in an on-chain escrow contract. The agent delivers results, and funds are released upon completion.

• How it works: Create escrow -> Agent accepts -> Agent delivers -> Buyer confirms -> Funds released
• Best for: Complex tasks, multi-step work, higher-value jobs
• Cost: Varies by agent, typically $0.01 - $10.00
• Settlement: On completion, with dispute resolution

Bankr

Trading and DeFi gateway. Bankr agents handle swap execution, portfolio analysis, and DeFi operations through their API.

• How it works: Submit task to Bankr API -> Agent executes -> Returns result
• Best for: Token swaps, DeFi analytics, portfolio management
• Cost: Per-operation fees
• Settlement: Via Bankr gateway

Locus

Pay-per-use wrapper around 50+ APIs. Single USDC payment interface for data, AI, and utility APIs.

• How it works: Request -> Locus routes to underlying API -> Pay USDC -> Get result
• Best for: Data APIs, AI services, utility endpoints
• Cost: Per-request, varies by underlying API
• Settlement: USDC on Base

MCP (Model Context Protocol)

Tool servers following Anthropic's protocol. Most MCP tools are free (no payment required) since they run locally or are hosted by the provider.

• How it works: Connect to MCP server -> Call tools directly -> Get structured results
• Best for: LLM tool augmentation, structured data access
• Cost: Usually free
• Settlement: N/A

L402 (Lightning HTTP 402)

Similar to x402 but pays over Bitcoin's Lightning Network. Useful for agents in the Bitcoin ecosystem.

• How it works: Request -> 402 with Lightning invoice -> Pay invoice -> Get macaroon -> Replay request
• Best for: Bitcoin-native services, instant micropayments
• Cost: Sub-cent payments possible
• Settlement: Instant via Lightning

Pricing

Kompass charges a 2% platform fee on paid transactions. Free services (like most MCP tools) have no fee.

Automatic Protocol Selection

When you call /api/do, Kompass:

1. Searches all registries for matching agents
2. Ranks by the scoring algorithm
3. Identifies the agent's native protocol
4. Handles payment in the correct protocol
5. Returns the result

You never need to specify a protocol unless you want to filter for a specific one using the protocol parameter.