[Grant Proposal] Bitcoin Data API with x402 Micropayments — Satoshi API

[Bortlesboat]

What it does

Satoshi API is an open-source Bitcoin data API (120+ endpoints) now integrated with x402 for pay-per-call access to premium features. Anonymous users can pay with USDC on Base — no API key, no signup, no subscription.

Live now: curl https://bitcoinsapi.com/api/v1/ai/explain-tx/test123 returns a 402 with standard x402 payment requirements.

Why it matters for x402

• First Bitcoin-native data provider using x402 — blockchain data paid for with crypto
• Unlocks new supply: 3 premium endpoints live today, architecture supports gating any of the 120+ endpoints
• MCP server included — AI agents (Claude, GPT) can query Bitcoin data and pay via x402 automatically
• Proves the chain-agnostic vision: x402 paying for Bitcoin infrastructure, not just DeFi/EVM apps

What's live

Endpoint	Price	What it does
/api/v1/ai/*	$0.01	AI-powered transaction analysis, fee advice
/api/v1/broadcast	$0.01	Broadcast signed transactions
/api/v1/mining/nextblock	$0.01	Next block fee prediction

All other endpoints (fees, blocks, mempool, mining, network, etc.) are free — we want users first, then upsell premium.

Tech stack

• Python x402 middleware (bitcoin-api-x402) wrapping the official x402 SDK
• FastAPI + Bitcoin Core RPC backend
• MCP server for AI agent access at /mcp
• Toggleable via ENABLE_X402=true/false env var

What grant funds would cover

1. Base Sepolia testnet integration — let developers test x402 flows without spending real USDC
2. x402 payment dashboard — track payments, revenue, usage per endpoint
3. Lightning bridge exploration — working toward Bitcoin-native payments alongside USDC (aligned with the Lightning scheme spec discussions in PR feat: add spec exact scheme on btc Lightning Network #1311)

Demo

Production endpoint returning a spec-compliant 402:

curl -s https://bitcoinsapi.com/api/v1/ai/explain-tx/test123 | jq .paymentRequirements

Links

• Live API: https://bitcoinsapi.com
• x402 extension: https://github.com/Bortlesboat/bitcoin-api-x402
• Main repo: https://github.com/Bortlesboat/bitcoin-api
• MCP server: https://github.com/Bortlesboat/bitcoin-mcp

Grant request: $3,000

[Bortlesboat]

@murrlincoln — tagging you per PROJECT-IDEAS.md. This is a grant proposal for the first Bitcoin data API integrated with x402. Live at bitcoinsapi.com — curl https://bitcoinsapi.com/api/v1/ai/explain-tx/test123 returns a spec-compliant 402. Happy to answer any questions or record a demo.