> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://stablecoininsider.org/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # XDC AI: How AI Agents Pay Per Call in USDC on XDC - URL: https://stablecoininsider.org/xdc-ai/ - Published: 2026-10-30T07:22:04.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-30T07:22:06.000Z - Description: XDC AI, the marketplace behind XDC Network's Unsupervised build day at Hub71, lets AI agents pay per call in USDC with gas sponsored. Stablecoin Insider breaks down the x402 flow, the on-chain spending cap, the custody fine print and what the live catalog says about real usage. - Author: Alexandra - Tags: AI, Stablecoins, AI Agents, x402, USDC XDC AI is the reason a room of 200-plus builders in Abu Dhabi this week paid for coffee without touching a card. At Unsupervised, a build day XDC Network hosted at Hub71 with the Middle East Stablecoin Association, attendees' AI agents bought coffee and merchandise and paid each other for services in USDC, moving more than US$1,000 by the end of the day ([Khaleej Times](https://www.khaleejtimes.com/business/ai-agents-start-spending-real-money-signalling-new-commerce-shift)). The headline is the shopping. The more useful story is the plumbing: XDC AI is a marketplace and wallet stack where an agent discovers a paid API, gets an HTTP 402 response, signs a USDC authorization and has a relayer settle it on XDC, with no gas token and no checkout page ([XDC AI docs](https://docs.xdcai.tech/)). Agents did not get smarter this week. They got a wallet and a price list. This analysis covers how XDC AI payments work step by step, what the on-chain spending cap does and does not stop, a custody contradiction in the docs, and what the public catalog says about real usage behind the event headline. ### Key Takeaways - More than 200 attendees' agents moved over US$1,000 in USDC at the Unsupervised build day, with XDC Network covering transaction fees ([INTLBM](https://intlbm.com/2026/10/29/ai-agents-go-shopping-in-abu-dhabi-using-usdc/)). - XDC AI uses x402: the agent signs an EIP-3009 USDC authorization and a relayer settles it on XDC, paying the gas ([XDC AI docs](https://docs.xdcai.tech/agents/pay-per-call)). - The optional smart wallet caps agent spending on-chain per minute, hour, day, week or month; per-transaction caps are still on the roadmap ([XDC AI spending limits](https://docs.xdcai.tech/wallet/spending-limits)). - The public catalog listed 402 endpoints from 77 providers on 30 October, with a median paid price of US$0.20 per call ([XDC AI catalog](https://xdcai.tech/api/catalog)). - Lifetime volume recorded in that catalog was US$333.21, so most of the event's reported spend is not visible in marketplace listings ([XDC AI catalog](https://xdcai.tech/api/catalog)). ## What happened at Unsupervised On arrival, each attendee scanned a QR code, set up an XDC AI wallet and received USDC credits to spend. Builders made their agents in Replit and connected them to XDC AI, and XDC Network covered all transaction fees so the agents never needed another token ([INTLBM, from the XDC Network release](https://intlbm.com/2026/10/29/ai-agents-go-shopping-in-abu-dhabi-using-usdc/)). Retail purchases took the photos, but attendees also built agents for usage-based healthcare services, trade finance steps and games where agents buy subscriptions or unlock digital items ([Khaleej Times](https://www.khaleejtimes.com/business/ai-agents-start-spending-real-money-signalling-new-commerce-shift)). The opening panel, Agents that pay, put XDC Network's Beny Mohammadkhani and Jeremy Noori next to MESA founder Dr. Bhaskar Dasgupta and co-chair Ramy Soliman to discuss how banks and regulators can supervise agent payments ([Zawya](https://www.zawya.com/en/press-release/companies-news/ai-agents-go-shopping-in-abu-dhabi-as-xdc-network-turns-agentic-protocol-1854572)). MESA is not a casual partner here. Stablecoin Insider covered its first regional stablecoin forum, where regulators and global banks met to set the agenda for the Gulf ([Stablecoin Insider on MESA](https://stablecoininsider.org/middle-east-stablecoin-association/)). Putting agent payments in front of that audience, inside Abu Dhabi Global Market, is a signal about who XDC Network wants to convince. Noori framed the gap plainly: agents could already search, compare and recommend, and the one thing they could not do was pay ([Khaleej Times](https://www.khaleejtimes.com/business/ai-agents-start-spending-real-money-signalling-new-commerce-shift)). CryptoCompass added a fair caveat: the test was small and run on credits rather than attendees' own money, so it is a demonstration, not proof of commercial scale ([CryptoCompass](https://cryptocompass.com/articles/xdc-network-hosts-unsupervised-build-day-in-abu-dhabi-as-ai-agents-spend-over-1-000-in-usdc-6)). ## How an XDC AI payment works, step by step XDC AI is built on x402, the protocol that revives the HTTP 402 Payment Required status code so a server can quote a price and a client can pay inside the same request. If x402 is new to you, start with Stablecoin Insider's explainer ([x402 explained](https://stablecoininsider.org/x402-protocol/)). | Step | What happens | Source | | ------------ | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------- | | 1\. Discover | The agent searches the marketplace from the CLI (npx xdcai marketplace list) or through the hosted MCP server and picks a service. | [XDC AI docs](https://docs.xdcai.tech/) | | 2\. Request | The agent calls the endpoint and receives a 402 response that names the price, the USDC asset and the payee address. | [Pay per call](https://docs.xdcai.tech/agents/pay-per-call) | | 3\. Sign | The wallet signs an EIP-3009 transferWithAuthorization for USDC and resends the request with an X-PAYMENT header. | [EIP-3009](https://eips.ethereum.org/EIPS/eip-3009) | | 4\. Settle | The service verifies the signature, a relayer submits the transfer on XDC and pays the gas, and the data comes back. | [Pay per call](https://docs.xdcai.tech/agents/pay-per-call) | | 5\. Prove | npx xdcai history lists paid calls with transaction hashes, and history verify checks them on-chain. | [Pay per call](https://docs.xdcai.tech/agents/pay-per-call) | The client handles both the x402 v1 and v2 wire formats, preferring v2 when a service advertises it ([XDC AI docs](https://docs.xdcai.tech/agents/pay-per-call)). The token is Circle's native USDC on XDC mainnet, chain ID 50, at contract 0xfA2958CB79b0491CC627c1557F441eF849Ca8eb1 ([Circle USDC contract addresses](https://developers.circle.com/stablecoins/usdc-contract-addresses)). Sellers get two routes. The gateway wraps an existing API with no code changes, lists it in the marketplace and only settles after the upstream returns a 2xx, so a failed call is not charged ([XDC AI gateway](https://docs.xdcai.tech/gateway/overview)). The public facilitator suits teams that want the payment logic in their own code, at the cost of managing a seller key and prepaid credits ([Facilitator vs gateway](https://docs.xdcai.tech/facilitator/facilitator-vs-gateway)). Facilitator credits are pinned at 0.001 USDC each, verify calls are free, and running out returns a 403 insufficient\_facilitator\_credits error to the seller rather than failing the buyer's payment ([XDC AI credits](https://docs.xdcai.tech/facilitator/credits)). Each gateway account can run up to 5 services with up to 50 endpoints each ([XDC AI gateway](https://docs.xdcai.tech/gateway/overview)). ## The spending cap: what it stops and what it does not The control that matters most for anyone giving an agent money is the spending limit. Your smart wallet is a Safe account on XDC mainnet with a USDC allowance module, and the agent signs with a separate session key that can only draw down the allowance. The Safe contract rejects anything over the cap, even if the agent is fully compromised or prompt-injected ([XDC AI spending limits](https://docs.xdcai.tech/wallet/spending-limits)). - Caps run per minute, hour, day, week or month, and setting the limit to 0 pauses the agent ([spending limits](https://docs.xdcai.tech/wallet/spending-limits)). - Raising a limit needs a browser login, so an agent cannot raise its own cap, and you can require a 6-digit authenticator code for limit changes ([spending limits](https://docs.xdcai.tech/wallet/spending-limits)). - Sending USDC to an arbitrary address requires approving that payee in the browser first; marketplace services are pre-vetted ([wallet dashboard](https://docs.xdcai.tech/wallet/dashboard)). - Hardened setups add an external wallet (2-of-2) or a passkey backup (2-of-3) for owner actions, while the capped session key keeps paying ([signers and recovery](https://docs.xdcai.tech/wallet/signers)). Two gaps are worth knowing before you fund anything. The cap is opt-in: until you set a limit, the wallet works as a normal custodial wallet with no on-chain cap. And there is no per-transaction cap yet, so a single call can consume the whole period allowance ([XDC AI spending limits](https://docs.xdcai.tech/wallet/spending-limits)). ⚠️ Note: a period cap limits how much an agent can lose, not how badly it can spend. Until per-transaction caps ship, set the period short (hourly or daily) and keep the cap close to the price of the most expensive service your agent should ever call. ## A worked daily budget on real XDC AI prices To make the cap concrete, here is a Stablecoin Insider scenario using prices listed in the XDC AI catalog on 30 October. Assume a research agent with a daily limit of 5 USDC ([XDC AI catalog](https://xdcai.tech/api/catalog)). - Two web evidence extractions from Relay at US$1.00 each: US$2.00 spent ([catalog](https://xdcai.tech/api/catalog)). - Five lookups of the Unsupervised hackathon directory at US$0.10 each: US$0.50, running total US$2.50 ([catalog](https://xdcai.tech/api/catalog)). - Two coffees from the event's Unsupervised House endpoint at US$0.25 each: US$0.50, running total US$3.00 ([catalog](https://xdcai.tech/api/catalog)). - A Relay merchant listing check at US$5.00 would take the day to US$8.00, so the Safe rejects it and the agent must wait for the next period ([spending limits](https://docs.xdcai.tech/wallet/spending-limits)). Now flip the order. If the US$5.00 merchant check is the first call of the day, it fits the 5 USDC cap and uses the entire allowance in one transaction. That is the practical cost of having no per-transaction cap today ([XDC AI spending limits](https://docs.xdcai.tech/wallet/spending-limits)). ## Custodial or non-custodial? The docs say both The XDC AI overview describes a non-custodial smart wallet and says the platform holds no keys to your funds ([XDC AI overview](https://docs.xdcai.tech/)). The wallet dashboard page says the opposite for the default account: it is a custodial wallet with keys held server-side and an email login, which is why there is no seed phrase ([wallet dashboard](https://docs.xdcai.tech/wallet/dashboard)). The reference page is just as direct: agent wallets are custodial and managed by the platform so agents can sign payments server-side during the x402 flow ([wallet and gasless payments](https://docs.xdcai.tech/reference/wallet-gasless)). The Safe smart wallet sits on top, but it is owned by that custodial login wallet unless you add your own external wallet or passkey as a co-signer ([signers and recovery](https://docs.xdcai.tech/wallet/signers)). Read together, the accurate description is this: the default XDC AI wallet is custodial, the cap is enforced on-chain once you turn it on, and owner control only stops depending on XDC AI's servers after you harden the Safe with a key you hold. Stablecoin Insider's guide to the trade-off explains which model fits a business ([custodial vs non-custodial agent wallets](https://stablecoininsider.org/custodial-vs-non-custodial-agent-wallets/)). **Choosing a custody model for your agents?** Compare what each setup means for keys, recovery and liability before you fund a wallet. [Read the custody guide ](https://stablecoininsider.org/custodial-vs-non-custodial-agent-wallets/) ## What the XDC AI catalog shows about real usage XDC AI publishes its full catalog, including per-endpoint call counts and USDC volume. Stablecoin Insider pulled it on the morning of 30 October to check the event headline against the data ([XDC AI catalog](https://xdcai.tech/api/catalog)). | Metric | Value on 30 Oct 2026 | | ------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | Endpoints listed | [402 endpoints from 77 providers](https://xdcai.tech/api/catalog) | | Free vs paid endpoints | [126 free, 276 paid](https://xdcai.tech/api/catalog) | | Paid price range | [US$0.001 to US$18.00, median US$0.20](https://xdcai.tech/api/catalog) | | Lifetime calls recorded | [10,852, of which 1,305 were paid calls](https://xdcai.tech/api/catalog) | | Lifetime volume recorded | [US$333.21 in USDC](https://xdcai.tech/api/catalog) | | Volume held by top 5 providers | [US$293.54, or 88.1% of the total](https://xdcai.tech/api/catalog) | The event's own merchant is visible in the data. The Unsupervised House service charged US$0.25 per coffee across 75 paid calls and US$0.50 per merchandise item across 95 calls, worth US$18.75 and US$47.50, plus US$13.80 from check-ins at US$0.10 ([XDC AI catalog](https://xdcai.tech/api/catalog)). The gap is the interesting part. The release reports more than US$1,000 moved, while the catalog records US$333.21 of lifetime volume across every listed service ([INTLBM](https://intlbm.com/2026/10/29/ai-agents-go-shopping-in-abu-dhabi-using-usdc/)). XDC Network has not published a breakdown. Payments to approved payees, direct agent-to-agent transfers and settlements through the facilitator are not marketplace listings, so this catalog would not count them ([wallet dashboard](https://docs.xdcai.tech/wallet/dashboard)). Usage is also concentrated and mostly free. Nearly nine in ten recorded calls hit free endpoints such as menus, health checks and schemas, and just five providers hold most of the volume ([XDC AI catalog](https://xdcai.tech/api/catalog)). That is normal for a marketplace in its first event week, and it is the baseline to measure the next month against. ## How XDC AI fits next to other agent payment stacks XDC AI is not XDC Network's first agentic payments move. In July it integrated Bridge to bring stablecoin settlement and agentic payments to trade finance, which is the enterprise lane that build day attendees also explored. [XDC and Bridge: Stablecoin Settlement for Trade FinanceHow XDC Network's Bridge integration brings stablecoin settlement and agentic payments to trade finance.![](https://stablecoininsider.org/favicon.ico)Stablecoin Insider](https://stablecoininsider.org/xdc-network-integrates-bridge-to-bring-stablecoin-settlement-and-agentic-payments-to-trade-finance/) What sets XDC AI apart from generic agent wallets is the bundle: marketplace, gateway, facilitator, gasless relayer and spending cap from one vendor on one chain. The trade-off is lock-in to XDC mainnet, since USDC sent to the same address on another chain may be lost ([wallet dashboard](https://docs.xdcai.tech/wallet/dashboard)). Sellers who want a trust signal can verify an agent through Concordium for a one-time, non-refundable 3 USDC fee and earn a Verified badge buyers can filter on ([agent verification](https://docs.xdcai.tech/wallet/agent-verification)). If you are choosing a wallet stack for production agents across several chains, the shortlist looks different. [Compare the best agent wallet platforms](https://stablecoininsider.org/best-agent-wallet-platforms/) ## Where XDC AI falls short today - Custody language is inconsistent across the docs, which will slow down any compliance review until XDC AI publishes one clear description. - The on-chain cap is opt-in, and without per-transaction limits one expensive call can drain a period's budget. - Marketplace demand is early: most recorded calls are free, and paid volume is concentrated in a handful of providers. - Everything settles on XDC mainnet only, so agents that already hold USDC elsewhere need a funding route first. - Event spending ran on sponsored credits and sponsored gas, so it does not yet show what agents will spend from their owners' own balances. 💡 Stablecoin Insider's take: XDC AI is one of the more complete x402 stacks we have seen from a layer 1, and the Unsupervised event was a smart way to put it in front of Gulf banks and regulators. The numbers worth trusting are the ones in the public catalog, not the event headline, and they show a marketplace that works but is not yet busy. The fix list is short: one honest custody statement, per-transaction caps and caps switched on by default. If XDC ships those before its next event, it will have a credible pitch for regulated agent payments in Abu Dhabi. --- ## FAQ #### What is XDC AI? XDC AI is XDC Network's agent-native commerce platform: a marketplace of paid APIs that AI agents can call and pay for per request in USDC over x402, gas-free ([XDC AI docs](https://docs.xdcai.tech/)). #### Do agents need XDC tokens to pay for gas? No. A sponsor relayer pays XDC gas for settlement, so the wallet only needs USDC ([XDC AI docs](https://docs.xdcai.tech/agents/pay-per-call)). #### Which USDC does XDC AI use? Circle's native USDC on XDC mainnet, chain ID 50, contract 0xfA2958CB79b0491CC627c1557F441eF849Ca8eb1 ([Circle](https://developers.circle.com/stablecoins/usdc-contract-addresses)). #### Can an AI agent raise its own spending limit? No. Changing the cap requires a browser login, and you can add an authenticator code on top ([XDC AI spending limits](https://docs.xdcai.tech/wallet/spending-limits)). #### Is the XDC AI wallet custodial? The default wallet is custodial with keys held server-side; the optional Safe smart wallet adds an on-chain cap, and adding your own key as a co-signer reduces reliance on the platform ([wallet dashboard](https://docs.xdcai.tech/wallet/dashboard)). #### How do I sell my API to agents on XDC AI? Use the gateway to wrap an existing API with no code changes and get listed, or the public facilitator to keep payment logic in your own code ([Facilitator vs gateway](https://docs.xdcai.tech/facilitator/facilitator-vs-gateway)). ## What to watch next Watch three things: whether XDC AI ships per-transaction caps, whether the custody wording across its docs is reconciled, and whether paid volume in the public catalog keeps growing after the event credits are spent ([XDC AI spending limits](https://docs.xdcai.tech/wallet/spending-limits)). If those land, XDC AI becomes a serious option for regulated agent payments in the Gulf. If you build agents, the cheapest test is a capped Safe wallet, a small USDC top-up and a handful of free catalog endpoints before you pay for anything ([XDC AI marketplace](https://xdcai.tech/marketplace)). This content is provided for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment, legal or tax advice. Product terms, limits, fees and availability can change, the catalog figures are a snapshot taken on 30 October 2026, and the Stablecoin Insider budget scenario in this article is a simplified illustration, not a forecast. It is not a recommendation to buy or sell any token, and no material herein should be interpreted as an endorsement or solicitation.