The infrastructure for the x402 track is currently a blank slate. Although the major market trends have taken away the "timing," causing applications like Launchpad and intermediaries like Facilitator to temporarily fall silent, it has provided more build time for the underlying infrastructure layer. Switchboard, as a decentralized oracle project emerging from the Solana ecosystem, has recently proposed to provide a data service layer for the x402 protocol. How exactly will this be done?

1) In terms of technical architecture, Switchboard utilizes a Trusted Execution Environment (TEE), which differs from traditional consensus models like Chainlink and Pyth that rely on network verification. Data is directly transmitted to the blockchain based on a secure enclave.

2) Regarding protocol compatibility, Switchboard is compatible with the x402 protocol standard, allowing AI Agents to initiate data requests directly via HTTP 402, completing authorization through small on-chain payments, with data returned instantly. The entire process does not require additional adaptation layers or intermediary contracts.

3) In terms of billing models, it breaks away from the traditional subscription model of oracles, supporting a pay-per-call system—Agents pay based on the number of calls and data points used, aligning perfectly with the x402 protocol's on-demand payment design philosophy.

4) More radically, Switchboard has completely removed the API Key mechanism. In the traditional model, calling data services requires prior registration, key application, and permission management, which creates significant friction for Agents. Now, users can access any data source instantly with sufficient information included in their 402 transaction requests, without registration or approval.

The question arises: does the x402 protocol need a dedicated oracle service layer?

First, let's clarify a concept: in the x402 protocol architecture, the Facilitator is responsible for payment facilitation—substituting payments, broadcasting transactions, and state verification, addressing the issue of "how money flows." The API services that Agents actually call, whether for obtaining prices, executing calculations, or invoking LLM inference, are provided by the Provider layer.

What Switchboard aims to do is create a special type of Provider: one that specifically offers trusted on-chain data services, constructing the core information layer for Agent value transfer.

Consider this: if the Provider is a centralized API, what happens if the data is tampered with or the service goes down? In Web2 scenarios, these risks are mitigated by brand channels and legal contracts, but in on-chain execution environments, especially involving complex DeFi operations, verifiable and on-chain evidence of data is necessary.

If ERC-8004 addresses the credibility and reputation issues of buyer Agents, then this type of oracle-oriented Provider aims to provide a layer of trusted assurance regarding the credibility of seller (API) data.

Essentially, the x402 protocol builds the payment layer for the Agent service market, while Switchboard constructs the data service layer. If the payment layer allows money to flow, the data service layer enables trusted data to flow.

Together, these two components create a complete infrastructure for the Agentic Economy.

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