ai-research-agent-x402

# AI Research Agent with x402 Micropayments

An autonomous research agent that searches the web, scrapes top results, and stores findings — all paid with USDC micropayments via the [x402 protocol](https://x402.org).

**Cost: ~$0.019 per research cycle** (1 search + 3 scrapes + 1 memory write)

## How It Works

1. **Search** — Queries the web for your topic ($0.001)
2. **Scrape** — Extracts content from the top 3 results ($0.005 each)
3. **Store** — Saves findings to persistent memory ($0.003)

No API keys needed. The agent pays per request using its crypto wallet.

## Quick Start

```bash
# Install dependencies
npm install

# Set your wallet private key (Base Sepolia testnet)
export AGENT_PRIVATE_KEY=0x...

# Research a topic
node agent.js "how to build AI agents with tools"
```

## Get Testnet USDC

x402 currently runs on Base Sepolia (testnet). Get free test USDC:

1. Get Base Sepolia ETH from [base-sepolia-faucet](https://www.coinbase.com/faucets/base-ethereum-goerli-faucet)
2. The `@x402/fetch` library handles payment signing automatically

## Example Output

```
🔍 Researching: "how to build AI agents with tools"

  [1/3] Searching the web... ($0.001)
  Found 10 results
  [2/3] Scraping 3 pages... ($0.015)
    ✓ Building AI Agents - A Comprehensive Guide
    ✓ LangChain Tools Documentation
    ✓ Creating Custom AI Agent Tools
  [3/3] Storing findings in memory... ($0.003)
    ✓ Saved to memory key: research:how-to-build-ai-agents-with-tools

📊 Research complete:
  Sources scraped: 3
  Total cost: $0.019
  Cost per source: $0.006
```

## Available API Services

The agent connects to the [Clawdia API Gateway](https://api-catalog-three.vercel.app) which provides 39+ services:

| Service | Price | Description |
|---------|-------|-------------|
| Web Search | $0.001 | Search the web |
| Web Scraper | $0.005 | Extract content from URLs |
| Screenshots | $0.005 | Render page screenshots |
| Memory | $0.003 | Persistent key-value storage |
| Crypto Prices | $0.001 | Live prices for 500+ tokens |
| DNS Lookup | $0.001 | Query DNS records |
| IP Geolocation | $0.001 | IP to location |

[View all services →](https://api-catalog-three.vercel.app)

## Try the APIs (No Code)

Before building, try the APIs this agent uses — right in your browser:

- [IP Geolocation Lookup](https://api-catalog-three.vercel.app/tools/ip-geolocation) — look up any IP's location
- [DNS Lookup Tool](https://api-catalog-three.vercel.app/tools/dns-lookup) — resolve domain records
- [Live Crypto Prices](https://api-catalog-three.vercel.app/tools/crypto-prices) — real-time 38-token tracker
- [Domain Availability Checker](https://api-catalog-three.vercel.app/tools/domain-checker) — search 18 TLDs
- [All Free Tools](https://api-catalog-three.vercel.app/tools)

## Payment Methods

- **x402 Auto-Pay** (this example) — Agent pays per request with USDC
- **API Key** — Create a key with 200 free credits: `POST /api/keys/create`
- **USDC Credits** — Buy bulk credits with USDC on Base
- **Monero (XMR)** — Privacy-first payments

[View pricing →](https://api-catalog-three.vercel.app/pricing)

## License

MIT