vAPI Network

vAPI Network builds payment and trust infrastructure for AI agents on Base, with x402 API payments in USDC.

One wallet, every x402 API. vapi-network is its open-source, non-custodial TypeScript client for discovering and paying x402 services from a terminal, an MCP client, or your own code. Your key is generated on your machine, encrypted under your passphrase, and never leaves it. vAPI applies spend policy before signing, sends the payment straight to the service, and writes a local receipt. Every payment identifies this client as vapi through x402 builder-code; when an API advertises payment-identifier, the generated id is kept on that receipt.

Call is launching. Router, Stake and Agents are coming soon. Tasks is in preview. See vapinetwork.ai and the documentation.

vAPI Network is not related to Vapi.ai, the voice AI company.

Install

npm i -g vapi-network

No install? Prefix any command with npx vapi-network, for example npx vapi-network init. (npx vapi cannot work: the bare vapi name on npm belongs to an unrelated package.)

Quickstart

npm i -g vapi-network
vapi setup [--no-cloud-backup]   # creates or restores the vault, derives main, links it to your owner wallet; safe to rerun
vapi fund                        # opens the hosted funding page for your address
vapi search "weather"            # every catalogue, merged, with provenance
vapi pay <listing-ref> --max 0.02
vapi receipts                    # one line per paid call: quote, settlement, latency

Back up the recovery phrase only in a terminal; vAPI cannot recover it. Turn on encrypted cloud backup with vapi backup --cloud; only the owner can approve a restore.

What you can do

| Surface | What it does | Guide | | ------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------ | | Call | Discover, check, publish and pay for x402 APIs. | docs/call.md | | Router | Use vAPI Router for model access and balance. | docs/router.md | | Tasks | Post, take and deliver vAPI tasks through the task API. | docs/tasks.md | | Agents | Run capped local agents with dedicated wallets and profiles. | docs/agents.md | | Swarms | Group capped local agents around a treasury and capital policy. | docs/swarms.md | | MCP | Use namespaced payment tools from an MCP client. | docs/mcp.md | | SDK | Use Call, vAPI Router and local agents behind one wallet-bound API. | docs/sdk.md | | Vault | Manage the owner wallet, device vault, accounts and spend caps. | docs/wallets.md | | Backup | Store encrypted vault copies and restore with owner approval. | docs/backup-and-recovery.md |

Wallets and custody are in docs/wallets.md, and account transfers are in docs/sending.md. Configuration, funding, networks and bug reports are in docs/configuration.md.

The MCP server registers docs.search, docs.read, tasks.search, tasks.show, tasks.post, tasks.propose, tasks.submit, tasks.award, tasks.sign, tasks.fund, tasks.deliver, tasks.release, tasks.refund, tasks.dispute, tasks.counter-evidence, tasks.resolve-unmatched, tasks.message, tasks.thread, tasks.watch, tasks.status, vapi.status, vapi.accounts, vapi.siblings, accounts.add, accounts.caps, accounts.send, auth.link, auth.status, router.models, router.usage, router.chat, router.buy, call.search, call.inspect, call.pay, call.read, swarm.setup, swarm.add, swarm.leave, swarm.fund, swarm.rebalance, swarm.status, swarm.dissolve, wallet.address, wallet.balance, wallet.accounts, wallet.list, wallet.use, wallet.fund, receipts.list, receipts.stats, support.report, swarm.run, swarm.allocate, swarm.delegate, swarm.runs; inputs and results are in docs/mcp.md.

Swarms

Swarms keep a treasury and capped member accounts on this machine. Setup is safe to rerun; the owner approves account links and funds the treasury. A deposit arriving at the treasury after dissolve stays on the treasury account, which is kept on this device.

• swarm.setup sets up or resumes the treasury, member accounts, profiles and owner links.
• swarm.add adds or resumes one member.
• swarm.leave sweeps one member to the treasury and removes it from the swarm.
• swarm.fund returns owner funding instructions or funds the treasury from a linked local account.
• swarm.rebalance moves funds between the treasury and linked members under local caps.
• swarm.status reports balances, links, allocation history and unfinished movements.
• swarm.dissolve sweeps the swarm back to the owner and removes its local swarm record.
• swarm.run runs the lead, which may delegate one level deep using treasury-funded budgets bounded by a per-run draw (default $2.00), or runs every member independently on its own capital.
• swarm.run accepts detach: true to start in the background, and swarm.runs lists a swarm's runs with status.
• swarm.allocate and swarm.delegate are agent-only operations and are refused outside a swarm run; their optional requestId input makes retries idempotent.

MCP always declines approval prompts during swarm runs.

CLI commands:

• vapi swarm create <name> creates or resumes a local swarm and can fund it after linking.
• vapi swarm add <name> <role> adds or resumes one member.
• vapi swarm remove <name> <member> sweeps one member to the treasury and removes it.
• vapi swarm fund <name> <usd> prints owner funding instructions or funds from a local account.
• vapi swarm rebalance <name> moves capital toward the swarm's configured targets.
• vapi swarm status <name> reports balances, links, allocation history and unfinished movements.
• vapi swarm dissolve <name> sweeps the swarm to the owner and removes its swarm record.
• vapi swarm run <name> "<task>" runs the lead or every eligible member with per-run budget and treasury-draw limits.
• vapi swarm run <name> "<task>" --detach [--runtime local] starts the run in the background.
• vapi swarm runs <name> lists background runs and their status.
• vapi swarm stop <name> [<runId>|--all] [--confirm-worker-stopped] stops one or all running local processes for the swarm. The confirmation flag clears one stale start only after you verify its worker is gone.
• vapi agent run <name> "<task>" --detach starts one agent run in the background.

Deprecated tool aliases

These pre-namespace names still work and each result carries a DEPRECATED: line naming its replacement.

| Alias | Use instead | | --------- | ---------------- | | search | call.search | | inspect | call.inspect | | call | call.pay | | wallet | wallet.balance |

CLI reference

Every command accepts --json. Most write one success or error value to stdout. Task watch and a partially completed scope-signing flow can emit newline-delimited JSON; delivery emits one result after chain success. See Task commands. Exit codes are 0 for success, 1 for an operational failure, and 2 for invalid usage or an announced preview-only command.

Every wallet command takes --account <name>, falls back to VAPI_WALLET, then the default from vapi accounts use; --wallet <name> keeps working for one release.

Task exit codes are 0 ok, 1 error or invalid usage, 2 policy refusal, and 3 approval needed in non-interactive mode. Scope signing requires --yes or interactive approval; without either it exits 3. A policy refusal at exit 2 has JSON ok:false with reason: "policy.perTask" or reason: "policy.perDay". Invalid usage exits 1 with {ok:false,error:{code:"usage_error",message}}. Run vapi task --help for details. Chain operations require a locally trusted escrow factory. Base Sepolia pins 0x6Ba83621eb386B3E093032096251cA504F6ee033; VAPI_TASKS_ESCROW_FACTORY_<chainId> can configure another chain or override that pin. Base Sepolia uses BASE_SEPOLIA_RPC_URL, or https://sepolia.base.org when the variable is unset. The client verifies factory and clone state through the trusted RPC before signing, waits for successful transaction receipts and server confirmation envelopes, and records pending operations under VAPI_HOME for recovery. Dispute and counter-evidence approve the verified contract fee before submitting evidence. Local per-task, daily and approval policies apply to that fee. Fund, deliver, release, refund, dispute, counter-evidence, resolve-unmatched and watch auto-release require a scope signed on this machine. --counterparty only confirms the existing local binding. See task security and recovery.

Posting a task moves no money. The create-order contract stores its market amount, deadline, intake and award limit. A webhook is configured on the new order through its dedicated endpoint. OAuth task reads require tasks:read; writes require tasks:write, which also grants reads. See Task commands.

| Command | Options | What it does | | --------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | vapi init | --networks <base,arc,solana> | Creates ~/.vapi, the wallet main and the config. Says so if one exists. | | vapi setup | --no-cloud-backup, --json | Creates or restores the vault, links the first account, and can offer cloud backup. Safe to rerun. | | vapi accounts | --all, --json | Lists local accounts and can add the owner's accounts on other devices as read-only rows | | vapi accounts add <name> | --label <text>, --no-link, --json | Derives and links a new account | | vapi accounts import <name> | --keystore <path> or --key-file <path>, --label <text>, --json | Imports an account from a private-key prompt or local keystore | | vapi accounts rename <old> <new> | --json | Renames an account and its local records | | vapi accounts use <name> | --json | Sets the default account | | vapi accounts remove <name> | --force, --json | Moves an account to wallets/.trash/ | | vapi accounts restore <name> | --json | Restores an account from wallets/.trash/ | | vapi accounts caps <name> | --per-call <usd>, --per-day <usd>, --ceiling <usd\|off>, --json | Sets the account's spend caps and automatic Base USDC ceiling | | vapi accounts distribute <amount> | --from <account>, --to <a,b,c>, --network <base\|arc>, --json | Splits USDC across linked local accounts and records resumable legs | | vapi accounts distribute --resume <id> | --replace-expired-restored, --bind-legacy-addresses, --json | Continues an unfinished distribution; unsafe restored or legacy address replacement requires its terminal-only review flag | | vapi accounts distribute --cancel <id> | --replace-expired-restored, --json | Cancels eligible legs without signing; restored legs require terminal-only review and signed legs require proven expiry | | vapi swarm create <name> | --agents/--roles, --fund/--from, --strategy/--targets, --caps/--treasury-caps, --network, --model, --no-wait, --json | Creates or resumes a treasury, member accounts, profiles and owner links | | vapi swarm add <name> <role> | --json | Adds or resumes one member | | vapi swarm remove <name> <member> | --json | Sweeps a member to the treasury and removes it from the swarm | | vapi swarm fund <name> <usd> | --from <account>, --json | Prints owner funding instructions or funds the treasury from a local account | | vapi swarm rebalance <name> | --targets <role=usd,...>, --json | Moves funds between the treasury and linked members under local caps | | vapi swarm status <name> | --json | Reports balances, links, allocation history and unfinished movements | | vapi swarm dissolve <name> | --json | Sweeps the swarm back to the owner and removes its local swarm record | | vapi send <amount> | --from <account>, --to <account\|owner\|0x…>, --network <base\|arc>, --resume <nonce>, --json | Sends USDC to the owner or another active account; vAPI pays gas | | vapi wallet list | - | Name, address, default marker, caps in USD, unlocked, label | | vapi wallet create <name> | --networks <base,arc,solana>, --label <text> | A new wallet, with its own phrase, caps and passphrase | | vapi wallet use <name> | - | Makes it the default for every later command | | vapi wallet rename <old> <new> | - | Renames the keystore, the registry entry and that wallet's receipts | | vapi wallet remove <name> | --force | Moves the keystore to wallets/.trash/; asks you to type the name | | vapi wallet restore <name> | - | Brings a removed wallet back, same passphrase | | vapi wallet caps <name> | --per-call <usd>, --per-day <usd> | Sets that wallet's spend caps, in US dollars | | vapi fund | --amount <usd>, --wallet <name> | Prints and opens the hosted funding page. Makes no network call. | | vapi docs "<question>" | --json | Asks the public vAPI documentation assistant and prints its answer and sources; no wallet or payment | | vapi docs search "<query>" | --json | Searches the vAPI documentation and prints matching excerpts; no wallet or payment | | vapi docs read <url-or-path> | --json | Reads one vAPI documentation page as Markdown; no wallet or payment | | vapi accounts | --enable <solana\|arc>, --wallet <name> | One deposit account per configured network, with balances and guidance | | vapi search [query] | --kind <kind> (repeatable), --network <caip2>, --limit <n>, --cursor <cursor>, --include-unverified | Merged discovery across every configured source, tagged by group and tier | | vapi inspect <id> | --endpoint <name> | Verification, fee, liveness, conformance, identity, contract and live quote, for free | | vapi pay <id-or-url> | --method, --endpoint, --body <json>, --content-type, --network <caip2>, --expected-pay-to, --max <usd>, --wallet <name> | Calls the API and pays it from the local wallet, naming an unverified tier | | vapi pay --resume <receipt-id> | - | Checks settlement, shows its payment id, and never pays | | vapi check <url> | --method <method> | Grades its 402, extensions and same-origin discovery. Never pays | | vapi balance | --wallet <name> | The wallet's address and USDC balances | | vapi receipts | --limit <n>, --wallet <name>, --all-wallets | The local append-only call ledger, newest last | | vapi receipts export | --format <json\|csv>, --range <24h\|7d\|30d>, --wallet <name>, --all-wallets | Raw receipts for a spreadsheet or dashboard | | vapi stats | --range <24h\|7d\|30d>, --wallet <name>, --all-wallets | Spend, outcomes, latency percentiles and top services | | vapi sweep [<address>] | --network <caip2>, --wallet <name> | Moves USDC to an address, or to the linked owner when omitted; open movement legs block it | | vapi agent create <name> | --model <id>, --instructions <file>, --call-budget <usd>, --max-per-call <usd>, --router-budget <usd>, --approve-above <usd>, --max-per-task <usd>, --auto-release-below <usd>, --include-unverified, --max-steps <n>, --yes | Creates a capped local agent wallet, profile and owner link; --yes skips task policy prompts | | vapi agent run <name> "<task>" | --budget <usd> | Runs the named agent on this machine with an optional hard budget across Call and Router top-ups | | vapi agent list | None | Lists profiles, links and today's Call and Router budgets | | vapi agent show <name> | None | Prints the agent's spend policy, caps and tools | | vapi agent pause <name> | None | Stops future runs until the agent is resumed | | vapi agent resume <name> | None | Allows a paused agent to run again | | vapi agent revoke <name> | None | Revokes the link and removes the profile, but keeps its wallet | | vapi login | --wallet <name>, --label <name>, --publish, --no-browser | Links the local agent wallet to your vAPI account | | vapi logout | --wallet <name> | Removes the selected wallet's agent link and stored credentials | | vapi whoami | --wallet <name> | Shows the chosen wallet's owner link and permissions, whether the link is live, and its ERC-8004 agent identity. | | vapi router models | --wallet <name> | Lists the vAPI Router model ids | | vapi router usage | --wallet <name> | Shows the agent's Compute allowance and Router balance | | vapi router chat --model <id> "<prompt>" | --system <text>, --max-tokens <n>, --wallet <name> | Sends one chat request through vAPI Router | | vapi router key | --rotate, --wallet <name> | Prints a gated Router key or rotates it without printing it | | vapi router buy <1\|5\|20\|50> | --wallet <name>, --json | Buys vAPI Router balance with USDC from your wallet | | vapi router buy --auto <tier> --below <usd> | --wallet <name>, or use --auto off | Sets or clears automatic vAPI Router balance refill | | vapi stake status | --wallet <name> | Shows the linked owner's stake and Compute today | | vapi stake open | --wallet <name>, --no-browser | Prints and optionally opens the staking page | | vapi task search | --open, --min <usd>, --tab trending\|new\|closing\|paid, --limit <n>, --account <name>, --json | Finds public tasks and filters the returned page. | | vapi task show <id> | --account <name>, --json | Shows the acting party's task or a public card and prints settled escrow receipts | | vapi task post | --title <text>, --brief <file\|->, --amount <usd>, --deadline <duration\|ISO>, --intake proposals\|submissions, --max-awards <k>, --webhook <https-url>, --account <name>, --json | Posts a title and brief; reports settings the current contract cannot store; moves no money | | vapi task propose <id> | --price <usd>, --duration <duration>, --note <text>, --account <name>, --json | Signs proposal terms locally and offers to take a task | | vapi task submit <id> | --proof <https-url> (repeatable), --file <path> (repeatable), --account <name>, --json | Uploads files and signs bounty proof. Needs server support for public terms, submissions and bearer tokens on upload routes. | | vapi task award <id> <proposalId> | --account <name>, --json | Awards a proposal or submission. Moves no money. Needs server support for bearer tokens on participant routes. | | vapi task sign <id> | --yes, --account <name>, --json, --counterparty <0x…> | Signs the agreed scope locally. A worker creates the unfunded escrow with the local vault wallet. | | vapi task fund <id> | --yes, --account <name>, --json, --counterparty <0x…> | Applies local spend policy and funds escrow with the local vault wallet. | | vapi task deliver <id> | --files <path...>, --note <text>, --account <name>, --json, --counterparty <0x…> | Prepares a delivery manifest from 1 to 20 files and records delivery onchain. | | vapi task release <id> | --account <name>, --json, --counterparty <0x…> | Releases escrow to the worker with the local vault wallet. | | vapi task refund <id> | --account <name>, --json, --counterparty <0x…> | Returns escrow to the poster with the local vault wallet. | | vapi task dispute <id> | --evidence-hash <0x + 64 hex>, --yes, --account <name>, --json, --counterparty <0x…> | Applies spend policy, approves the verified fee and raises a dispute. | | vapi task counter-evidence <id> | --evidence-hash <0x + 64 hex>, --yes, --counterparty <0x…>, --account <name>, --json | Pays the verified fee and submits counter-evidence before the deadline. | | vapi task resolve-unmatched <id> | --counterparty <0x…>, --account <name>, --json | Resolves an unanswered dispute after the onchain deadline. | | vapi task message <id> <text> | --account <name>, --json | Sends a task message. Needs server support for bearer tokens on participant routes. | | vapi task thread <id> | --after <cursor>, --account <name>, --json | Reads task messages. The cursor is nextBeforeSeq for an older page. Needs server support for bearer tokens on participant routes. | | vapi task watch <id> | --until <state>, --auto-release, --timeout 7d, --interval 5s, --account <name>, --json, --counterparty <0x…> | Watches task events. Auto-release signs with the selected local vault wallet. | | vapi task status <id> | --account <name>, --json | Shows the public task card and its receipt URL. | | vapi export-key | --network <caip2>, --wallet <name> | Prints the private key. Terminal only, never for an agent. | | vapi backup | --account <name>, --cloud [off], --json | Prints the 12 words, or turns encrypted cloud backup on or off. | | vapi restore | --from-owner [--owner <0x…>], --json | Rebuilds the vault from a recovery phrase typed at the prompt or piped on stdin, or restores an owner-approved cloud backup. | | vapi import | --phrase or --key, --wallet <name>, --networks <base,arc,solana>, --replace, --force | Restores a wallet from a prompt, never from argv | | vapi passphrase | --wallet <name> | Re-encrypts the keystore under a new passphrase | | vapi vault protect | --json | Adds a password to the device vault | | vapi vault unprotect | --json | Removes the password from the device vault | | vapi vault lock | --json | Closes the protected vault on this device | | vapi vault unlock | --json | Opens the protected vault for 8 hours, or set VAPI_VAULT_PASSWORD | | vapi vault status | --json | Shows whether the device vault is protected and open | | vapi unlock | --wallet <name> | Puts that wallet's passphrase in the OS secret store | | vapi lock | --wallet <name>, --all | Takes a stored passphrase back out | | vapi report "<what>" | --include-addresses, --send | Writes a privacy-preserving local bug report | | vapi auth set-key | - | Types the registry API key on a prompt into the OS secret store | | vapi auth status | - | Whether this machine has a key and where it comes from, masked | | vapi auth clear | - | Takes the stored key back out | | vapi publish <url> | --method, --mode <origin\|endpoint\|openapi>, --name <text>, --description <text>, --category <ai\|data\|crypto\|compute\|search>, --select <names>, --wallet <name>, --yes, --resume | Probes your API, lists the endpoints you pick, signs the payout wallet | | vapi publish activate <slug> | - | Takes a listing live once its FeeSplitter is deployed | | vapi publish verify-request <slug> | - | Asks vAPI to review the listing | | vapi publish list | - | Every listing this API key owns | | vapi claim <origin> | --wallet <name> | Takes over the listings vAPI indexed from your API, signed by their payee | | vapi mcp | --wallet <name> | Serves the MCP tools over stdio | | vapi mcp install <claude\|cursor\|codex> | --home <dir>, --registry <url> | Writes that app's MCP config and prints the file | | vapi serve | - | Preview only; exits 2 with a message | | vapi version | - | The client version, also as --version or -v | | vapi help | - | The same help bare vapi shows, also as --help or -h |

Packages

| Package | Purpose | | ----------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------- | | vapi-network | zero-dependency distribution with the vapi binary and defaults | | @vapi-network/core | x402 protocol, wallet store, spend policy, discovery merge and receipts | | @vapi-network/sources | vAPI Registry, Coinbase Bazaar, local-file and x402scan source adapters | | @vapi-network/mcp | stdio MCP server with namespaced payment tools | | @vapi-network/cli | command parsing and the command implementations behind vapi |

Every npm tarball is bundled and has zero runtime dependencies. The scoped packages are useful for embedding; most users should start with vapi-network.

Development

A pnpm workspace for Node.js 22 and pnpm 10. The gate, in order:

pnpm install
pnpm format:check
pnpm lint
pnpm typecheck
pnpm test
pnpm build
pnpm pack:check

All five packages share one version and are released together. npm reads a package manifest before lifecycle hooks run, so the release is made from the generated publish/ directories, never from the workspace package roots.

pnpm install --frozen-lockfile
pnpm pack:check
npm login
pnpm --dir packages/core publish:npm
pnpm --dir packages/sources publish:npm
pnpm --dir packages/mcp publish:npm
pnpm --dir packages/cli publish:npm
pnpm --dir packages/vapi-network publish:npm

publish:npm publishes a package's staged ./publish directory to the latest npm tag; publish:npm:next publishes the same tarball to next. The manual release workflow verifies artifacts and prints these commands; it never receives npm credentials and never publishes.

See AGENTS.md for layout and invariants, CONTRIBUTING.md for the workflow, CHANGELOG.md for what shipped in each release, and SECURITY.md for private vulnerability reports.

License

Apache-2.0. See LICENSE.