It’s a simple thesis. Internet users should earn a share of revenue whenever their data is queried by platforms, apps or AI agents.

It flips the existing internet model on its head by rewarding you for the value you create, instead of platforms taking that value for themselves.

So, how does it work?

Let’s break down the onchain payment system inside Memory, powering instant payments between apps, AI agents and users. And how it will evolve in the future.

In the simplest possible terms:

• Apps and AI agents can access Memory today by purchasing API credits.

• Onchain splits automatically pay users if their data is queried.

• A portion of the revenue goes to the treasury to fund protocol growth.

Let’s get into the deeper mechanics of how it works.

Builders can access Memory’s open data protocol today. The API is live, allowing the retrieval of social data (Farcaster and Twitter) and public identities linked to wallets for any user.

Apps like Followcast are already using Memory to improve onboarding flows (e.g. Followcast syncs your Twitter follows to Farcaster so you don’t have to start from zero on Farcaster). Payments work as follows:

• App builders pay for API credits to access Memory Protocol data.

• The cost is fixed in USD for price stability.

• Payments are made in $MEM at the current exchange rate.

A percentage of the revenue goes to the protocol treasury, and a percentage goes to the user that got queried.

Note: we are inviting early adopters to use Memory API for free and earn token allocation. Get in touch to get set up.

AI agents will likely be the biggest customers for every API in the near future. That’s why Memory is built for agents from day one using Coinbase’s x402 standard.

• Agents can pay-per-use with onchain micropayments (x402)

• Cost fixed in USD, paid in $MEM

• No KYC required.

This creates a system where agents can freely access Memory data and payments can flow seamlessly to users when their data is queried. Again, a percentage of the revenue goes to the protocol treasury, and a percentage goes to the user.

We built a custom fee router on Base that splits payments onchain automatically. It sends payments to the corresponding users, while routing a percentage of revenue to the protocol for development.

This rev-share model was not possible before L2s unlocked micropayments at scale. Built on Base, Memory can now process millions of microdata payment splits instantly to users.

User revenue will be periodically distributed via a Merkle Tree, and users can claim their earnings through their Memory Vault.

In Phase Zero, many users will begin accruing earnings without having to do anything. Memory can aggregate public data for any user, creating a distinct identity map for users spanning Twitter, Farcaster, Zora, and all known wallet addresses, as well as their public social data such as Twitter follows and posts (this is what powered Followcast’s follow-sync feature).

When apps or agents query this data, earnings will be routed to the user automatically, and they can claim it in their Memory Vault.

In future phases, users will be invited to upload additional private data such as LLM history, Spotify preferences or movie recommendations. This increases the value of their data and boosts their chance of earnings in the future.

In the future, Memory will expand beyond the public data API to a fully decentralized open data marketplace for the internet. Users will monetize any type of data and curators will stake $MEM to signal quality and help standardize data sets. Apps and agents will create a demand-side marketplace, all while paying revenue to users.

If you’re a builder we are offering free access to early adopters and token allocation. Reach out to get set up.