T402
The Payment Layer of the Open Web
Imagine a web where every API call, every data stream, every piece of content can be paid for instantly โ without accounts, without subscriptions, without intermediaries. T402 makes this the default.
HTTP Was Missing a Piece
The web was built for information exchange โ but not for value exchange. HTTP 402 "Payment Required" has been reserved since 1997, waiting for the right technology. T402 fills that gap with Eltoo-native streaming payments.
The Old Way
- โSign up for an account
- โEnter credit card details
- โCommit to a monthly subscription
- โPay for what you don't use
The T402 Way
- โRequest any resource
- โAuto-pay per use via Eltoo channel
- โAccess granted instantly
- โPay only for what you consume
Four Steps. Zero Friction.
T402 turns the entire payment-authorization flow into a seamless, invisible handshake between client and server โ all happening in milliseconds.
Request
Your agent requests a premium resource โ an API, a dataset, a content stream.
Challenge
The server responds with HTTP 402 and a cryptographic payment challenge.
Pay
Your Eltoo channel settles the payment off-chain in milliseconds. Zero gas. Zero confirmation wait.
Access
The payment proof is verified and your resource is delivered. All in one HTTP round-trip.
Built for the Next Era
T402 isn't just a payment protocol. It's a foundational layer that enables entirely new categories of applications and economic models.
Machine-to-Machine Economy
AI agents paying for API calls. IoT devices purchasing data feeds. Autonomous systems trading compute resources. T402 enables an economy where machines transact without human intervention.
True Pay-Per-Use
No more flat-rate subscriptions for services you barely use. Pay for exactly one API call, one paragraph of text, one second of video. Granularity down to a single satoshi.
Invisible Payments
The best payment experience is no payment experience. T402 payments happen inside the HTTP protocol itself โ no redirects, no popups, no friction.
Privacy by Default
No accounts. No email addresses. No tracking cookies. Just cryptographic proof of payment. Your identity stays yours.
Global & Instant
No banks. No payment processors. No geographic restrictions. Anyone, anywhere, can monetize or access resources โ settling in milliseconds, not days.
Developer-First
Add T402 to any HTTP server with a single middleware. Client SDKs handle the entire flow automatically. Build paid APIs in minutes, not months.
What Will You Build?
T402 unlocks business models that were previously impossible. Here's just the beginning.
AI Agent Marketplace
Autonomous AI agents that discover, negotiate, and pay for services in real-time. No API keys. No billing dashboards. Just intelligent, self-funding agents.
Premium Content Streaming
Pay-per-article, pay-per-chapter, pay-per-second video. Creators earn from every single piece of content without subscription fatigue.
Data Monetization
Sell real-time data feeds โ weather, financial, IoT sensor data โ with instant, per-request micropayments. Turn any API into a revenue stream.
Compute & Storage Markets
Rent GPU cycles, storage space, or bandwidth by the millisecond. A truly elastic cloud where you pay for exactly what you use.
Why Eltoo Makes T402 Possible
T402 is not just any payment protocol layered on any blockchain. It's specifically designed to leverage the unique capabilities of Native Eltoo channels.
Zero On-Chain Footprint
Successful T402 payments never touch the blockchain. Channel states update off-chain, keeping costs at absolute zero.
PTLC Cryptographic Binding
Payment and access are atomically linked through Point Time Locked Contracts. The act of paying IS the proof of payment.
Infinite Throughput
Eltoo channels can process unlimited state updates. T402 inherits this โ no bottlenecks, no congestion, no limits.
Safe by Design
No penalty mechanisms. No watchtower requirements. Eltoo's monotonic state model means both parties are always safe.
The Future is Pay-Per-Request
T402 transforms the web from a subscription economy to a true usage economy. Every HTTP request becomes a potential value exchange. The infrastructure is ready.