What Happens to the $0.001 When an AI Agent Pays for an API Call
An API gateway operator details the intricate economics of charging AI agents as little as $0.001 per API call. The operator explains that after accounting for blockchain gas fees on Base mainnet, upstream provider costs, and database operations, the profit margin on such small transactions is extremely thin, sometimes even resulting in a loss if gas prices spike. To manage this, a tiered pricing model is employed, and a significant portion of requests are handled via a cache, which incurs much lower costs and allows for a small profit margin. AI
IMPACT Details the tight economic constraints and technical considerations for businesses building pay-per-call APIs for AI agents.