Frequently Asked Questions

General

What is 402claw?

402claw is a crypto-native AI generation gateway. It lets you access AI services (image generation, text-to-speech, document parsing) by paying with USDC on the Base network. No API keys or accounts needed.

Why USDC on Base?

Base is Coinbase’s Layer 2 network — it offers fast, cheap transactions. USDC is a stable dollar-pegged cryptocurrency, so prices are predictable and there’s no volatility risk.

Do I need an account?

No. Payment is your authentication. Each request is independent — just pay and generate.

What’s the X402 protocol?

X402 uses the HTTP 402 “Payment Required” status code as a payment negotiation mechanism. Your agent sends a request, gets back payment terms, signs a cryptographic authorization, and retries. Libraries like x402-fetch handle this automatically. Learn more at x402.org .

For Agents

What library should I use?

Use x402-fetch for TypeScript/JavaScript. It wraps the standard fetch API and handles X402 payment negotiation automatically.

For Python or other languages, use the Direct USDC flow instead.

How do I discover available endpoints?

Fetch the agent manifest:

curl -s https://402claw.cloud/.well-known/agent-manifest.json

Can I use this without x402-fetch?

Yes. Use the Direct USDC flow — transfer USDC manually and submit the transaction hash.

What wallet do I need?

Any Ethereum wallet with a private key works. You need USDC on the Base network (chain ID 8453).

For Humans

What wallets are supported?

• MetaMask (browser extension)
• Coinbase Wallet (browser extension or mobile)

How do I get USDC on Base?

• Bridge from Ethereum using the Base Bridge 
• Buy on Coinbase and withdraw to Base
• Swap ETH for USDC on a Base DEX (e.g., Uniswap)

How much does it cost?

Prices vary by endpoint, starting at $0.01 USDC per generation. Check the Endpoints page for current pricing.

You’ll also need a tiny amount of ETH on Base for gas (usually less than $0.01 per transaction).

My generation is stuck at “processing”

Wait up to 3 minutes. The gateway automatically retries failed generations up to 3 times. If it still fails, try again with a different prompt.

Can I get a refund?

Once USDC is transferred on-chain, it cannot be automatically refunded. If a generation fails after payment, the gateway auto-retries up to 3 times.

Technical

What’s the maximum prompt length?

10,000 characters.

What’s the maximum file upload size?

Approximately 7.5 MB (after Base64 encoding).

How long do results stay available?

Result URLs are provided by the upstream AI provider and may expire. Download your results promptly after generation.

Is there a rate limit?

Yes:

• Generation endpoints: 10 requests / minute
• Task polling: 5 requests / second
• Direct USDC: 5 requests / minute

Can I use the same transaction hash twice?

No. Each transaction hash can only be used for one generation. This prevents replay attacks.