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Prism uses a two-layer architecture that separates business logic from on-chain settlement. You integrate at the orchestration layer — familiar APIs and SDKs. Settlement happens transparently on-chain through the Spectrum layer. Merchants never need to touch smart contracts directly.

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Two-layer architecture

Prism is the off-chain orchestration layer you integrate against; Spectrum is the on-chain settlement layer that moves the stablecoins. Merchants never touch a smart contract directly. For how the two layers fit together — and how Prism implements each protocol — see the Architecture section.

Architecture overview

The orchestration and settlement layers, and Prism as the layer that speaks every protocol.

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Transaction Lifecycle

Here’s what happens during a payment, step by step:
1

Request

An AI agent makes an HTTP request to the merchant’s protected endpoint (e.g., GET /api/premium/data).
2

402 Response

The Prism SDK middleware intercepts the request and returns HTTP 402 Payment Required. The response includes payment requirements: amount, token, chain, recipient address, and a deadline.
3

Payment

The agent’s wallet reads the 402 response, constructs a stablecoin payment, and submits it on-chain.
4

Retry with Proof

The agent retries the original request, this time including the payment proof (transaction signature) in the X-PAYMENT header.
5

Verification

Prism forwards the payment proof to Spectrum, which verifies the on-chain transaction — correct amount, correct token, correct recipient, transaction confirmed.
6

Settlement

Once verified, settlement is complete. The stablecoins are in the merchant’s wallet. Prism confirms the payment to the SDK middleware.
7

Access Granted

The middleware allows the original request to proceed. The agent receives the requested resource.
Timing: End-to-end settlement takes a few seconds, depending on the chain. Base transactions typically settle in ~2 seconds, while Ethereum takes ~12 seconds. After the request completes, Prism delivers a webhook notification to the merchant’s configured endpoint with the full transaction details.

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Protocol support

Prism is protocol-agnostic — one integration covers x402, UCP, and ACP, so your setup stays the same regardless of which protocol a buyer’s agent speaks. For what each protocol is, see the protocol landscape overview; for how Prism implements each, see Architecture.

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Settlement

All settlements happen in stablecoins. Merchants choose which tokens and chains to accept in the Prism console. The transaction is final once confirmed on the blockchain. No chargebacks, no disputes, no clawbacks. Settlement flows directly from the agent’s wallet to the merchant’s wallet. No intermediary holds the funds. The merchant can hold stablecoins or transfer them to another wallet.
ChainSettlement TimeGas Cost
Base~2 secondsVery low
Arbitrum~2 secondsVery low
BSC~3 secondsLow
Ethereum~12 secondsHigher
Settlement deep dive →
Last modified on July 7, 2026