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Key Concepts

This page explains the core terminology and concepts used throughout WasiAI. Understanding these will help you navigate the platform and documentation effectively.

Models and Agents

Model

A Model is an AI capability listed on the WasiAI marketplace. It represents a specific AI function, such as text classification, sentiment analysis, or image generation, that users can access through the platform.

Each model has: - Metadata: Name, description, category, cover image - Pricing: Per-inference cost, license prices - Owner: The wallet address that controls the model - Creator: The original creator (receives royalties) - URI: IPFS link to full metadata and artifacts

Agent

An Agent is the on-chain identity of a model, registered via the ERC-8004 standard. When a model is published, an agent is automatically created with: - Agent ID: Unique identifier (ERC-721 token) - Endpoint: URL for x402 inference requests - Wallet: Address that receives payments - Reputation: Accumulated feedback scores

Note: In WasiAI, "model" and "agent" are closely related. A model is the listing; an agent is its on-chain identity. Every published model has an associated agent.

Model Family

A Model Family groups multiple versions of the same model. When you publish an update to your model, it becomes a new version in the same family. This ensures: - Reputation continuity across versions - Same splitter contract for revenue - Clear upgrade path for users

Payments

x402 Protocol

x402 is a payment protocol that enables HTTP 402 (Payment Required) responses with cryptocurrency payments. When a user requests an inference:

  1. Server returns HTTP 402 with payment requirements
  2. User signs a USDC authorization (gasless via EIP-3009)
  3. User retries request with X-PAYMENT header
  4. Server verifies payment and executes inference
  5. Server returns result with X-PAYMENT-RESPONSE header

This enables micropayments: payments as small as $0.001 per inference.

Pay-Per-Inference

The default payment model on WasiAI. Users pay a small fee (typically $0.001–$0.10) for each inference call. Benefits: - No commitment required - Pay only for what you use - Instant settlement

Facilitator

A Facilitator is a service that executes USDC transfers on behalf of users. WasiAI supports two facilitators: - Ultravioleta DAO: Free, covers gas fees (Avalanche only) - Thirdweb: Multi-chain support, backend pays gas

The facilitator receives the signed authorization and calls transferWithAuthorization on the USDC contract.

Licenses

License NFT

A License NFT is an ERC-721 token that grants access to a model's capabilities. Unlike pay-per-inference, a license provides: - Unlimited access (within license terms) - Ownership: Tradeable on secondary markets - Proof of access: Verifiable on-chain

License Types

Type Description Duration
Perpetual One-time payment, lifetime access Forever

License Rights

Each license specifies what the holder can do: - API Access (RIGHTS_API = 1): Call the inference endpoint - Download Access (RIGHTS_DOWNLOAD = 2): Download model artifacts

Rights are stored as a bitmask, so a license can grant multiple rights.

Revenue Distribution

Revenue Split

When a payment is received (inference or license), it's automatically split between: - Seller: Current model owner (majority share) - Creator: Original creator (royalty, typically 5–10%) - Marketplace: WasiAI platform fee (5%)

Splitter Contract

Each model has a dedicated ModelSplitter contract that handles revenue distribution. When USDC is sent to the splitter: 1. Marketplace fee is deducted and sent to WasiAI 2. Creator royalty is calculated and sent to creator 3. Remaining balance goes to the seller

Splitters are created automatically when a model is published, using the SplitterFactory (EIP-1167 minimal proxies for gas efficiency).

Royalties

Royalties are a percentage of each sale that goes to the original creator, even if the model has been transferred to a new owner. This ensures creators benefit from the long-term success of their work.

Identity and Reputation

ERC-8004

ERC-8004 is a proposed standard for AI agent identity on Ethereum-compatible chains. It defines: - How agents are registered and identified - Metadata schema for agent capabilities - Reputation tracking mechanisms

WasiAI implements ERC-8004 through the AgentRegistryV2 contract.

Agent Identity

Every agent on WasiAI has: - Agent ID: Unique token ID (ERC-721) - Model ID: Reference to the marketplace listing - Wallet: Payment receiving address - Endpoint: x402 inference URL - Metadata URI: IPFS link to agent description

Reputation Score

Users can provide feedback after each inference: - 👍 Positive: Inference was helpful/accurate - 👎 Negative: Inference was unhelpful/wrong

Feedback is recorded on-chain via the ReputationRegistryV2 contract, creating a verifiable history of agent performance.

Smart Contracts

MarketplaceV3

The main contract for model listings. Handles: - Model registration and updates - License sales - Pricing configuration - Agent registration (delegated)

LicenseNFTV2

ERC-721 contract for license tokens. Features: - Perpetual licenses - Rights management - Revocation support

AgentRegistryV2

ERC-8004 identity registry. Manages: - Agent registration - Endpoint updates - Wallet changes (with timelock)

SplitterFactory

Factory contract for creating revenue splitters. Uses EIP-1167 minimal proxies for gas-efficient deployment.

ModelSplitter

Individual splitter contract for each model. Receives payments and distributes to seller, creator, and marketplace.

Storage

IPFS

IPFS (InterPlanetary File System) is used for decentralized storage of: - Model metadata (name, description, category) - Cover images - Model artifacts (weights, configs) - Agent metadata

WasiAI uses Pinata as the IPFS pinning service.

Metadata URI

Each model has a URI pointing to its IPFS metadata. The metadata follows a standard schema: 

{
  "name": "Model Name",
  "description": "What the model does",
  "category": "text-classification",
  "coverImage": "ipfs://...",
  "artifacts": [...],
  "licensePolicy": {...}
}

Wallets and Authentication

Social Login

WasiAI supports onboarding without a crypto wallet via Thirdweb In-App Wallets: - Google - Apple - Email (passwordless) - Passkey (biometric)

A non-custodial wallet is created and linked to the user's social account.

Traditional Wallets

Users can also connect with standard wallets: - Core Wallet - MetaMask - WalletConnect - Coinbase Wallet - Rainbow

Next Steps