A set of technical rules that let an <a href="https://claude-me.com/en/glossary/core-concepts/ai-agent/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AI Agent</a> initiate, authorize, and complete a payment on a user's behalf, removing the need for a human to fill out a form, enter a card number, or wait for manual approval between a request and a payment. Multiple such protocols currently coexist, each positioned differently and suited to different use cases.

Agent Metering is the mechanism for tracking and recording an <a href="https://claude-me.com/en/glossary/core-concepts/ai-agent/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AI Agent</a>'s per-unit resource consumption (LLM tokens, tool calls, Gas fees) in real time, turning actual operating cost into a billable basis.

Uses a fiat-pegged cryptocurrency to finalize a transaction directly onchain, replacing the traditional banking system's settlement process — which routes through clearinghouses and correspondent banks in layers and often takes days — and compressing fund-movement confirmation time from the scale of days down to seconds.