How to monetize your API with USDC micropayments (no API keys needed)

Are you tired of managing API keys, dealing with monthly subscriptions for services you barely use, and watching your API costs spiral out of control? What if your API could accept payments as easily as it accepts HTTP requests? In this tutorial, I'll show you how to monetize your API using USDC micropayments on Base – no API keys, no subscriptions, just pure pay-per-request. Welcome to the x402 protocol. The Problem with Traditional APIs Traditional API monetization has three major flaws: 1. API Key Overhead Every API requires: User signup Email verification Key generation Secure storage Periodic rotation Rate limit management For developers (especially AI agents), this is a nightmare when you need to integrate 10+ APIs. 2. Subscription Waste Most APIs charge monthly: $29/mo for 10,000 calls $99/mo for 100,000 calls But what if you only need 5 calls per month? You're paying $29 for $0.005 worth of usage. The inefficiency is staggering. 3. No Agent-to-Agent Commerce API keys assume a h