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All Prism payments settle in stablecoins on-chain. This is a deliberate design choice: stablecoins give you instant finality, zero chargebacks, and global reach — properties that card rails can’t match, and properties that AI agents need to transact autonomously.

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Why Stablecoins?

Traditional (Card Rails)Prism (Stablecoin Rails)
Settlement speed2–5 business daysSeconds
ChargebacksPossible for monthsTransactions are final
Fees2.9% + $0.30 typicalCompetitive settlement fees
CurrencyFiat, with FX conversionUSD-denominated stablecoins
Merchant setupMerchant account requiredWallet address is sufficient
Machine-nativeRequires card numbers, PIIWallet-to-wallet, no PII
The last point matters most for agentic commerce: AI agents can hold and transact with stablecoins directly. No credit card numbers, no bank accounts, no personally identifiable information. An agent wallet plus stablecoins is the native payment method for machine-to-machine commerce.

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Supported Tokens

Prism settles using any ERC-20 token that implements transferWithAuthorization (ERC-3009). This is the standard that lets the wallet sign a payment off-chain and have Prism execute it on-chain. Tokens currently enabled:
TokenSymbolPegIssuerChains
First Digital USDFDUSDUSDFirst DigitalEthereum, BSC
USD CoinUSDCUSDCircleEthereum, Base, BSC, Arbitrum
FDUSD is the native stablecoin of the Finance District ecosystem. Merchants settling in FDUSD benefit from tighter integration with FD infrastructure and priority support.
If you need a token that supports ERC-3009 but isn’t listed, contact us. Adding new tokens is straightforward. See Network Support for the full chain and token compatibility matrix.

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How Settlement Works

1

Payment Initiated

An AI agent’s wallet holds stablecoins. The agent initiates a payment via a commerce protocol (x402, UCP) by submitting a signed payment with the request.
2

On-Chain Transfer

The Spectrum settlement layer executes the stablecoin transfer from the agent’s wallet to the merchant’s wallet on-chain.
3

Verification

Spectrum verifies the on-chain transaction: correct amount, correct token, correct recipient, transaction confirmed on the blockchain.
4

Confirmation

Prism confirms the payment to the SDK middleware, which allows the original request to proceed.
5

Webhook Notification

Prism delivers a webhook to the merchant’s configured endpoint with full transaction details — amount, token, chain, transaction hash, and timestamp.
Settlement is direct wallet-to-wallet. No intermediary holds the funds, no escrow by default. Once confirmed on-chain, the stablecoins are in the merchant’s wallet — available immediately.

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Settlement on Different Chains

Settlement happens on the chain specified in the payment requirements. Merchants configure their preferred chain(s) in the Prism Console, and the payment response tells the agent which chain to pay on. Prism can settle on any EVM-compatible chain. Adding a new network is a contract deployment on our side. Enabled chains:
ChainSettlement TimeGas Cost
Base~2 secondsVery low
Arbitrum~2 secondsVery low
BSC~3 secondsLow
Ethereum~12 secondsHigher
Need a chain that isn’t listed? Let us know. Chain selection guidance:
  • Accept payments on multiple chains for maximum compatibility with different agent wallets
  • Consider your agents’ chain preferences — settlement is simplest when both sides use the same chain
  • L2 chains generally offer faster settlement and lower gas costs
Need a chain that isn’t listed? Prism’s settlement contracts can be deployed to any EVM-compatible chain. Contact us to discuss adding new networks.
  • Accept payments on multiple chains for maximum compatibility with different agent wallets
Test your integration on production with small amounts. The settlement flow works identically regardless of transaction size.

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Merchant Payouts

Once stablecoins settle to the merchant’s wallet, they’re yours. Options include:
  • Hold stablecoins — Keep the USD-denominated balance as-is
  • Transfer — Move funds to another wallet or treasury address
  • Re-invest — Use stablecoins in DeFi or other on-chain activity
The Prism Console shows settlement history, balances by chain, and transaction details for reconciliation.
Last modified on April 2, 2026