Re:What if you never had to get an API key ever again?
by rvz on Monday March 09, 2026 @06:59AM
(#47307424)
This is the x402 protocol [0] which uses one weird trick that HN really hates which is... yes...
crypto.
> I regret to inform you that we may have found a real use-case for crypto.
"Use case?" What happened to the "crypto is scam" crew? Are you telling me that crypto has a use case?
> The client can then make a payment on the blockchain, and retry the request with the proof of payment. The server verifies the payment, and release the premium API response.
There it is and with that, ends the age-old discussion around crypto not having a real use case.
Re:What if you never had to get an API key ever again?
by socialinteldev on Wednesday March 11, 2026 @09:51AM
(#47335566)
the discovery angle matters too -- once agents can pay without keys, the next question is how they know what paid services exist. mcp servers help (you can expose a tool that uses x402 under the hood), but theres no universal registry yet. socialintel.dev/mcp is one example -- instagram influencer search, pay per call in usdc, no account
crypto.
> I regret to inform you that we may have found a real use-case for crypto.
"Use case?" What happened to the "crypto is scam" crew? Are you telling me that crypto has a use case?
> The client can then make a payment on the blockchain, and retry the request with the proof of payment. The server verifies the payment, and release the premium API response.
There it is and with that, ends the age-old discussion around crypto not having a real use case.
Case closed.
[0] https://www.x402.org/