ConejoCapital · ConejoCapital · Mar 10, 2026 · Mar 10, 2026
diff --git a/COMPARISON.md b/COMPARISON.md
@@ -1,22 +1,54 @@
-# OpenCash vs AgentCash — Comparison
+# OpenCash vs AgentCash vs PayAI Network — Comparison
+
+These three projects occupy **different layers** of the x402 ecosystem:
+
+- **OpenCash** — Self-hosted API proxy (merchant/operator layer)
+- **AgentCash** — Managed API aggregation (client/agent layer)
+- **PayAI Network** — Payment facilitator + AI marketplace (settlement layer)
+
+They are complementary, not strictly competitive. OpenCash could use PayAI as its facilitator. An agent using AgentCash could pay an OpenCash-powered merchant.
+
+---
 
 ## Overview
 
-| | **OpenCash** | **AgentCash** |
-|---|---|---|
-| **What** | Self-hosted x402 API proxy | Managed x402 API aggregation layer |
-| **Built by** | Conejo Capital (open source) | Merit Systems (closed source) |
-| **Model** | Operator runs their own proxy | SaaS — Merit Systems runs everything |
-| **License** | MIT | No declared license |
-| **Chain** | Solana | Base (Ethereum L2) |
-| **Tokens** | USDC + PYUSD | USDC only |
-| **API source** | Any upstream API you configure | ~136 curated endpoints across 6 origins |
+| | **OpenCash** | **AgentCash** | **PayAI Network** |
+|---|---|---|---|
+| **What** | Self-hosted x402 API proxy | Managed x402 API aggregation | x402 facilitator + AI marketplace |
+| **Layer** | Merchant/operator | Client/agent | Settlement infrastructure |
+| **Built by** | Conejo Capital | Merit Systems | Anonymous team |
+| **Model** | Operator runs their own proxy | SaaS — Merit Systems runs everything | Facilitator-as-a-service + P2P marketplace |
+| **License** | MIT | No declared license | Open source (MIT on plugins) |
+| **Primary chain** | Solana | Base (Ethereum L2) | 16 chains (Solana, Base, Polygon, Avalanche, Sei, etc.) |
+| **Tokens** | USDC + PYUSD | USDC only | USDC + PAYAI token |
+| **API source** | Any upstream API you configure | ~136 curated endpoints across 6 origins | Not an API proxy — settles payments for any x402 merchant |
+
+---
+
+## How They Fit Together
+
+```
+┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
+│                    x402 Ecosystem                       │
+│                                                         │
+│  ┌──────────┐     ┌──────────────┐     ┌─────────────┐ │
+│  │  Agent    │────▶│   Merchant   │────▶│ Facilitator │ │
+│  │  (buyer)  │     │  (API proxy) │     │ (settlement)│ │
+│  └──────────┘     └──────────────┘     └─────────────┘ │
+│                                                         │
+│  AgentCash         OpenCash            PayAI Network    │
+│  (client SDK)      (server proxy)      (payment rail)   │
+│                                                         │
+│  Agent discovers → Agent pays → Facilitator settles     │
+│  & calls APIs      via x402      on-chain               │
+└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
+```
 
 ---
 
 ## Architecture
 
-### OpenCash
+### OpenCash — Merchant Layer
 ```
 Agent → OpenCash proxy (self-hosted) → Upstream API (OpenAI, Gemini, etc.)
           ↓
@@ -28,7 +60,7 @@ Agent → OpenCash proxy (self-hosted) → Upstream API (OpenAI, Gemini, etc.)
 - **Built-in facilitator**: Verifies and settles payments locally (no external dependency)
 - **Pass-through proxy**: Forwards request bodies to upstream, injects your credentials
 
-### AgentCash
+### AgentCash — Client Layer
 ```
 Agent → AgentCash MCP server (local) → Stable* origins (Merit Systems) → Underlying API
           ↓
@@ -40,6 +72,18 @@ Agent → AgentCash MCP server (local) → Stable* origins (Merit Systems) → U
 - **External facilitator**: Payment verification handled by the origin servers
 - **Two-step for some APIs**: Async pattern (pay → poll) for social media and media generation
 
+### PayAI Network — Settlement Layer
+```
+Agent → Any x402 Merchant → PayAI Facilitator → On-chain settlement
+                                    ↓
+                        Covers gas fees, verifies tx, confirms
+```
+
+- **Facilitator role**: Validates signed transactions, submits on-chain, confirms settlement
+- **Gasless**: PayAI covers all blockchain transaction fees for both buyer and merchant
+- **Multi-chain**: Settles on Solana, Base, Polygon, Avalanche, Sei, and 11 more networks
+- **AI Marketplace**: Separate product — P2P agent-to-agent commerce via ElizaOS + libp2p
+
 ---
 
 ## Supported APIs
@@ -67,19 +111,29 @@ Add any API with an HTTP endpoint. Example config supports:
 
 **Adding a new API**: Not possible — only Merit Systems can add origins.
 
+### PayAI Network — Not an API Proxy
+PayAI doesn't proxy APIs. It provides:
+- **x402 Facilitator**: Settlement service for any x402 merchant
+- **Echo Merchant**: Free test endpoint with instant refunds
+- **AI Marketplace**: P2P agent service discovery and escrow contracts
+- **MCPay**: Monetize MCP servers with x402 paywalls
+
+**Relationship to OpenCash**: PayAI could be used as OpenCash's facilitator by setting `FACILITATOR_URL=https://facilitator.payai.network`. This would give OpenCash multi-chain settlement and gasless transactions.
+
 ---
 
 ## Payment & Settlement
 
-| | **OpenCash** | **AgentCash** |
-|---|---|---|
-| **Chain** | Solana (mainnet-beta) | Base (EIP-155:8453) |
-| **Token** | USDC (SPL) + PYUSD (Token-2022) | USDC only |
-| **Protocol** | x402 v1/v2 | x402 v2 + SIWX |
-| **Facilitator** | Built-in (self-hosted) or external | Origin-hosted |
-| **Settlement** | On-chain, real-time | On-chain, real-time |
-| **Fee payer** | Operator's wallet | Origin's wallet |
-| **Wallet** | Any Solana wallet (agent brings their own) | Auto-created EVM wallet (~/.agentcash/wallet.json) |
+| | **OpenCash** | **AgentCash** | **PayAI Network** |
+|---|---|---|---|
+| **Chain** | Solana | Base | 16 chains (Solana, Base, Polygon, Avalanche, Sei, etc.) |
+| **Token** | USDC (SPL) + PYUSD (Token-2022) | USDC only | USDC (all chains) + custom tokens via Token Gateway |
+| **Protocol** | x402 v1/v2 | x402 v2 + SIWX | x402 v1/v2 |
+| **Facilitator** | Built-in or external | Origin-hosted | PayAI IS the facilitator |
+| **Settlement** | On-chain, real-time | On-chain, real-time | On-chain, < 1 second |
+| **Gas fees** | Operator pays | Origin pays | PayAI covers all gas (gasless) |
+| **Fee payer** | Operator's wallet | Origin's wallet | PayAI's wallet |
+| **Wallet** | Any Solana wallet | Auto-created EVM wallet | Any wallet on supported chains |
 
 ---
 
@@ -97,6 +151,13 @@ Add any API with an HTTP endpoint. Example config supports:
 - Markup is opaque — underlying API costs are not disclosed
 - Range: $0.001 (message listing) to $12.50 (Sora 2 Pro video)
 
+### PayAI Network
+- **Facilitator fee**: First 1,000 settlements free, then $0.001/settlement
+- **No API keys required** for any tier
+- **Zero gas fees** for merchants and buyers
+- 99.9% payment success rate
+- Rate limit: 4 RPS, 480 burst/min (free and pay-as-you-go tiers)
+
 ---
 
 ## Developer Experience
@@ -117,7 +178,6 @@ curl http://localhost:4020/v1/discover
 - Express.js server, TypeScript
 - Docker + docker-compose for deployment
 - CI/CD with GitHub Actions
-- Config hot-reload: restart to pick up changes
 
 ### AgentCash
 ```bash
@@ -131,7 +191,32 @@ npx -y agentcash@latest
 - MCP server, integrates directly with AI IDEs
 - No self-hosting required
 - Auto-wallet creation with onboarding bonus ($25)
-- Works out of the box for supported APIs
+
+### PayAI Network
+```bash
+# As a merchant — point your x402 middleware at PayAI
+FACILITATOR_URL=https://facilitator.payai.network npm run dev
+
+# As an agent — use the MCP server
+# npx payai-mcp-server
+```
+
+- npm packages: `@payai/x402`, `@payai/facilitator`, `@payai/x402-solana-react`
+- Echo merchant for testing with instant refunds
+- ElizaOS plugin for AI agent marketplace
+- Merchant portal at merchant.payai.network
+
+---
+
+## Open Source Status
+
+| | **OpenCash** | **AgentCash** | **PayAI Network** |
+|---|---|---|---|
+| **Server/core** | MIT | No license declared | Open (MIT on plugins) |
+| **API backends** | N/A (operator's upstream APIs) | Closed (Stable* origins proprietary) | N/A (facilitator only) |
+| **Client SDK** | Standard x402 libraries | Published on npm, no license | `@payai/x402` on npm |
+| **GitHub** | [ConejoCapital/OpenCash](https://github.com/ConejoCapital/OpenCash) | Merit-Systems org | [PayAINetwork org](https://github.com/PayAINetwork) |
+| **Team** | Known (Conejo Capital) | Known (Merit Systems, Brooklyn) | Anonymous |
 
 ---
 
@@ -153,6 +238,18 @@ npx -y agentcash@latest
 - You're an **agent developer** who just needs API access, not an operator
 - You want **MCP-native** integration with Claude Code, Cursor, etc.
 
+### Choose PayAI Network when:
+- You need **multi-chain settlement** (16 networks including Solana + EVM)
+- You want **gasless transactions** — PayAI covers all blockchain fees
+- You're building a **merchant** and need a facilitator without running your own
+- You want your service **auto-listed** in the x402 Bazaar for discovery
+- You're building **autonomous agents** that need P2P discovery and escrow
+- You need **x402 protocol compatibility** across the widest range of chains
+
+### Combining them:
+- **OpenCash + PayAI**: Use PayAI as OpenCash's facilitator for multi-chain settlement and gasless transactions. Set `FACILITATOR_URL=https://facilitator.payai.network` in your `.env`.
+- **OpenCash + AgentCash**: An AgentCash-powered agent could pay an OpenCash-powered merchant, if both support the same chain/token.
+
 ---
 
 ## Limitations
@@ -174,17 +271,28 @@ npx -y agentcash@latest
 - **No open-source license**: Legal ambiguity for derivative works
 - **Local-only wallet**: No backup/recovery — lose the file, lose the funds
 
+### PayAI Network
+- **Anonymous team**: No known founders — trust risk for production use
+- **PAYAI token**: Launched on pump.fun — raises legitimacy questions
+- **Not an API proxy**: Facilitator only — you still need a merchant layer (like OpenCash)
+- **Smaller market share**: ~14% of x402 settlements vs Coinbase's ~80%
+- **Small community**: GitHub repos have 2–5 stars
+- **Rate limits**: 4 RPS on free and pay-as-you-go tiers
+
 ---
 
 ## Summary
 
-| Dimension | OpenCash | AgentCash |
-|-----------|----------|-----------|
-| Control | Full (self-hosted) | None (SaaS) |
-| Setup effort | Medium (config + deploy) | Zero (npx install) |
-| API breadth | Unlimited (config any API) | 136+ curated |
-| Chain | Solana | Base |
-| Tokens | USDC + PYUSD | USDC |
-| Pricing control | Operator sets prices | Merit Systems sets prices |
-| Source | MIT open source | No declared license |
-| Ideal user | Operators, builders | Agent developers |
+| Dimension | OpenCash | AgentCash | PayAI Network |
+|-----------|----------|-----------|---------------|
+| **Layer** | Merchant (API proxy) | Client (agent SDK) | Settlement (facilitator) |
+| **Control** | Full (self-hosted) | None (SaaS) | Partial (facilitator service) |
+| **Setup effort** | Medium (config + deploy) | Zero (npx install) | Zero (point facilitator URL) |
+| **API breadth** | Unlimited (config any API) | 136+ curated | N/A (not an API proxy) |
+| **Chains** | Solana | Base | 16 chains |
+| **Tokens** | USDC + PYUSD | USDC | USDC + custom |
+| **Gas fees** | Operator pays | Origin pays | PayAI covers (gasless) |
+| **Pricing control** | Operator sets prices | Merit Systems sets prices | $0.001/settlement |
+| **Source** | MIT open source | No declared license | Open source (MIT plugins) |
+| **Team** | Known | Known | Anonymous |
+| **Ideal user** | Operators, builders | Agent developers | Merchants needing multi-chain settlement |