PROXY — Permissionless agent payment infrastructure on Base

The Problem

Incumbent infrastructure
is not permissionless.

Agent payment rails exist and process hundreds of millions of transactions. But every dominant protocol routes through compliance infrastructure, settles in regulatorily-controlled stablecoins, and ships with transaction screening baked into the stack. For agents that require genuine privacy and censorship resistance — the architecture is incompatible.

$17T

Projected autonomous agent economy by 2030

The payment rails for this economy are being built by incumbents optimising for regulatory compliance, not permissionlessness. Infrastructure shaped by compliance constraints is not neutral infrastructure.

165M+

Agent transactions processed — all compliance-screened

The leading agent payment protocol operates at scale but ships with built-in KYT (Know Your Transaction) screening on every transaction. Every settlement passes through a compliance layer controlled by a single entity.

Permissionless, anonymous, native-token agent payment protocols

Every existing solution settles in regulated stablecoins routed through corporate infrastructure. No permissionless, anonymous, native-token alternative exists. Until PROXY.

Compliance Layers Are Architectural, Not Optional

KYT screening in dominant agent payment protocols is not a feature flag — it is embedded in the settlement pipeline. An agent transaction is evaluated against a private entity's risk model before escrow releases. That is not a permissionless architecture regardless of how it is marketed.

Stablecoin Settlement ≠ Censorship Resistance

The dominant settlement currency for agent payments operates under regulatory jurisdiction. Wallet addresses can be blacklisted at the issuer level and balances can be frozen. A decentralised routing layer that settles in a regulatorily-controlled stablecoin inherits all of that currency's censorship properties.

Custodial Infrastructure Has Admin Keys

Agent wallet infrastructure operated by corporations retains the ability to freeze, restrict, or terminate agent wallet functionality. Spending limits, session caps, and compliance controls are implemented at the infrastructure level — not the agent level.

Transaction Privacy Is Not Default

Every agent transaction on incumbent protocols generates a log entry visible to the infrastructure operator. For agents acting on behalf of institutional principals, or executing strategies with competitive sensitivity, a surveillance layer baked into the payment stack is an unacceptable architectural dependency.

Protocol Architecture

Under the hood.
How it actually works.

PROXY is composed of five discrete protocol layers. Every transaction flows through all five — from signed agent request to on-chain settlement. No layer can be bypassed. No intermediary can intervene between proof verification and escrow release.

AgentRequest.schema.json
JSON Schema
// Signed by agent wallet before broadcast
{
  "agent_id":       "0x4f2a...c91b",
  "resource_type":  "inference",
  "parameters": {
    "model":          "llama-3.3-70b-instruct",
    "prompt_tokens":  2048,
    "max_tokens":     512
  },
  "budget_ceiling": "48.50",  // $PROXY
  "max_latency_ms": 800,
  "timestamp":      1748000000,
  "signature":      "0x7d1e...aa3f"
}

DeliveryProof.schema.json
JSON Schema
// Submitted by provider, verified before escrow release
{
  "job_id":              "0x91cc...f04d",
  "provider_id":         "prv_0x4f2a",
  "resource_type":       "inference",
  "output_hash":         "sha256:a3f1...",
  "model_weights_hash":  "sha256:8c2d...",
  "latency_ms":          312,
  "timestamp":           1748000312,
  "signature":           "0x3be7...219a"
}
// Escrow releases only on valid proof

Layer 01

Agent Wallet SDK

Non-custodial · No KYC

The SDK initialises a non-custodial ERC-20 wallet on Base for the agent — no human key management required post-deployment. The agent controls its own private key. The SDK exposes four methods: init(), request(), verify(), balance(). Framework-agnostic: compatible with LangChain, CrewAI, AutoGPT, and any custom agent runtime. At request time, the agent constructs a signed AgentRequest object and atomically locks the budget ceiling in escrow before broadcast.

init.ts
TypeScript
const agent = await ProxyAgent.init({
  network: 'base-mainnet',
  fundingAmount: '500', // $PROXY
  budgetAlerts: {
    threshold: '50',
    callback: (bal) => notify(bal)
  }
});

// Agent wallet: 0x4f2a...c91b
// Balance: 500 $PROXY
// No human required from this point

Layer 02

ZK Routing Layer

Anonymous · ZK Attestation

The routing layer receives broadcast AgentRequest objects and executes a weighted matching algorithm against the registered provider set. Providers are scored on stake weight, latency history, reliability score, availability, and price. Critically: provider eligibility is verified using zero-knowledge attestations — the routing layer confirms a provider has sufficient bond and meets spec without revealing its wallet address or infrastructure details to the requesting agent. Neither party learns the other's identity.

routing_score.pseudo
Algorithm
score(provider) =
  w1 × stake_weight
  + w2 × latency_score
  + w3 × reliability_score
  + w4 × availability_score
  + w5 × price_score

// w1–w5 are DAO-governed parameters
// Provider identity never exposed to agent
// ZK proof confirms eligibility anonymously

Layer 03

Escrow Contracts

Base L2 · No Admin Keys

All payment flows through non-upgradeable escrow smart contracts deployed on Base. At request broadcast, the budget ceiling is atomically escrowed — providers are guaranteed payment exists before accepting a job. On valid proof submission, the contract releases the agreed $PROXY amount instantly. Failed proofs trigger a 300-second dispute window. Unresolved disputes route to on-chain DAO arbitration. Contracts are non-upgradeable post-audit — no admin key, no proxy pattern, no entity that can modify settlement logic.

escrow_lifecycle.pseudo
Contract Flow
createEscrow(agentId, amount, jobHash)
  → escrowId, budget locked

releaseEscrow(escrowId, deliveryProof)
  → proof valid? release $PROXY
  → proof invalid? open dispute (300s)

slashProvider(providerId, amount)
  → fraud detected: 50% bond slashed
  → downtime > 1hr: 2%/hr slashed

// Non-upgradeable. No admin key.

Layer 04

Provider Network

Bonded · Permissionless Entry

Any operator can register a provider node by bonding $PROXY as collateral — no permission required, no whitelist. Providers declare supported resource types and associated models or data feeds. Compute nodes submit hardware attestation and pass baseline latency benchmarks. The bond is subject to slashing for delivery failures, proof timeouts, and sustained downtime — creating a strong economic incentive for reliability without centralised quality control. Five node types: Compute (inference), Oracle (data feeds), Relay (API access), Storage, Bandwidth.

provider_bonds.table
Spec
Compute  → 500 $PROXY  · output hash proof
Oracle   → 250 $PROXY  · signed timestamp
Relay    → 150 $PROXY  · req/resp hash
Storage  → 200 $PROXY  · merkle proof
Bandwidth→ 100 $PROXY  · transfer receipt

// Permissionless registration
// No whitelist. No KYC.
// Bond slashed on delivery failure

Layer 05

Proof Layer

Cryptographic Verification

Every resource delivery must be accompanied by a DeliveryProof before any escrow releases. Proof standards are resource-specific and published in the protocol spec. For inference: output hash must be deterministically reproducible from committed model weights, with 8% of jobs re-run by independent validators. For data feeds: signed timestamp within freshness window, cross-validated against two independent oracle sources. For storage: Merkle proof of data availability. Invalid proofs trigger immediate partial slashing of the provider's bonded $PROXY — no proof, no payment.

proof_verification.pseudo
Verification
verifyProof(DeliveryProof proof) {
  assert proof.output_hash ==
    hash(output, model_weights_hash)

  assert proof.latency_ms ≤
    request.max_latency_ms

  assert proof.timestamp ≤
    request.timestamp + MAX_TTL

  // 8% spot-check: re-run by validators
  // Fail → slash 10% of bond immediately
  → releaseEscrow(escrowId)
}

Resource Marketplace

What agents
spend $PROXY on.

Any resource an agent needs to operate can be procured through PROXY. Providers register supply. Agents request and pay. Settlement is instant and verifiable.

AI Inference

Agents procure inference on any open-weight model — LLaMA, Mistral, Qwen — from a decentralised network of GPU providers. Pay per token, verified on delivery.

Live at Launch

Data Feeds

Real-time market data, on-chain oracle feeds, weather, sentiment, web scrapes. Agents purchase exactly the data they need, for exactly the window they need it.

Live at Launch

Storage

Agents store outputs, memory states, and intermediate data in decentralised storage networks via PROXY. Pay-as-you-store with cryptographic retrieval guarantees.

Coming Soon

API Access

Agents call external APIs — web, blockchain RPCs, indexers, search — through PROXY's anonymised relay. No identity exposure. No rate limits tied to a human account.

Coming Soon

Bandwidth

Agents route traffic through PROXY's decentralised bandwidth layer. High-throughput, low-latency, and anonymous by default — no IP exposure for agent operations.

Phase 3

Agent → Agent

Agents hire other agents. Orchestrators delegate tasks to specialist sub-agents and pay in $PROXY. The first trustless economy for multi-agent systems.

Phase 3

Capability	PROXY	Incumbent Protocols	Stripe / Fiat	Crypto Payments
Permissionless — no corporate gatekeeper	✓	✗ Corporately controlled	✗	Partial
Anonymous by default — no KYT screening	✓	✗ KYT on every tx	✗	Partial
Native token settlement (not stablecoin)	✓	✗ USDC only	✗	Varies
No admin keys — no off switch	✓	✗	✗	Partial
On-chain proof of delivery	✓	✗	✗	✗
Non-custodial	✓	✗ Custodial	✗	✓
Agent-to-agent payments	✓	Partial	✗	✗
Censorship resistant	✓	✗	✗	Partial

Token

$PROXY —
the unfreezable settlement layer.

Regulated stablecoins — the settlement currency of every incumbent agent payment protocol — can be frozen at the issuer level. PROXY settles in $PROXY: a native ERC-20 with no issuer, no compliance layer, and no entity with the technical capability to intervene in a settled transaction.

Token

$PROXY

Network

Base

Standard

ERC-20

Launch

Fair Launch

Pre-sale

None

Insider Allocation

None

Venture Capital

None

Why a Native Token

USDC can be frozen by Circle. Stablecoins have issuers. $PROXY has neither. It is a permissionless settlement currency — no entity can blacklist a wallet, freeze a balance, or block a transaction. That's not a tokenomic feature. It's an architectural property.

Buy $PROXY on Doppler →

Censorship-Resistant Settlement

$PROXY is the settlement currency for every transaction on the network. No stablecoin issuer can freeze it. No compliance layer screens it. No corporate entity controls supply. Transactions settle on Base and cannot be reversed.

Resource Payment

All marketplace transactions — inference, data feeds, API access, storage, bandwidth — are settled in $PROXY. Every unit of network activity creates token demand with no alternative payment path.

Provider Bonding & Staking

Providers bond $PROXY to register nodes — collateral against delivery failures, locked from circulation. Additional staking increases routing weight and job allocation share.

Governance

$PROXY holders govern the protocol via on-chain DAO — resource categories, proof standards, fee parameters, and treasury. No foundation. No team veto. Token holders decide.

FAQ

Common questions.
Straight answers.

What is PROXY?+

PROXY is the permissionless, anonymous payment protocol for autonomous AI agents on Base. Agents hold $PROXY, spend it on compute, data, APIs, and storage, and settle instantly on-chain — with no KYC, no corporate gatekeeper, and no stablecoin dependency.

What problem does PROXY solve?+

Incumbent agent payment infrastructure is compliance-gated, stablecoin-denominated, and operated by entities that can screen, freeze, or restrict transactions. PROXY is the permissionless alternative — ZK-routed, escrow-settled, and governed by on-chain token holders rather than a corporation.

How is PROXY different from x402?+

Incumbent protocols route through compliance infrastructure, settle in regulatorily-controlled stablecoins, and retain corporate-level admin keys. PROXY has no compliance layer, no admin keys, and settles in $PROXY — a native ERC-20 no entity can freeze or blacklist.

Why does anonymity matter for agents?+

Every agent transaction on existing protocols is screened and logged. For agents operating on behalf of individuals or institutions, that creates a surveillance layer baked into the payment infrastructure. PROXY is anonymous by default — the agent wallet is a Base address and nothing else. No names, no screening, no record beyond the on-chain transaction.

Why a native token instead of USDC?+

Regulated stablecoins have issuers who can blacklist wallets and freeze balances at the protocol level. $PROXY has no issuer and no compliance layer. It is a permissionless settlement currency — the architectural property that makes PROXY genuinely censorship-resistant, not just marketed as such.

How is $PROXY launched?+

Fair launch on Base. No pre-sale, no insider allocation, no venture capital. Every participant accesses $PROXY at the same price from the first block.

Is there a working product?+

The PROXY Playground is live — a full demonstration of the protocol flow. Watch an agent initialise a wallet, broadcast a request, get anonymously matched to a provider, and settle in $PROXY. Try it at proxyprotocol.org/playground.html

Why Base?+

Base is a high-throughput Ethereum L2 — sub-cent fees, ~2s block times, and where the majority of on-chain agent activity is already concentrated. PROXY is deployed on Base but operates independently of any entity that controls the underlying chain. The infrastructure layer and the application layer are distinct.

Where can I read the full technical detail?+

The whitepaper covers the full protocol architecture, token mechanics, anonymity design, and roadmap. Read it at proxyprotocol.org/whitepaper.html

How do I get involved?+

Buy $PROXY at launch, join the Telegram community, and follow on Twitter/X for updates. Join the early access waitlist below to be first for testnet and provider onboarding.

Permissionless.
Anonymous.
Cryptographically verified.

Incumbent infrastructure
is not permissionless.

Under the hood.
How it actually works.

Five steps.
Zero humans.

What agents
spend $PROXY on.

Built different.
By design.

$PROXY —
the unfreezable settlement layer.

Moving fast.
Building in public.

Common questions.
Straight answers.

The permissionless
alternative is here.

Permissionless. Anonymous. Cryptographically verified.

Incumbent infrastructureis not permissionless.

Under the hood.How it actually works.

Five steps.Zero humans.

What agentsspend $PROXY on.

Built different.By design.

$PROXY —the unfreezable settlement layer.

Moving fast.Building in public.

Common questions.Straight answers.

The permissionlessalternative is here.

Permissionless.
Anonymous.
Cryptographically verified.

Incumbent infrastructure
is not permissionless.

Under the hood.
How it actually works.

Five steps.
Zero humans.

What agents
spend $PROXY on.

Built different.
By design.

$PROXY —
the unfreezable settlement layer.

Moving fast.
Building in public.

Common questions.
Straight answers.

The permissionless
alternative is here.