A Sustainable Architecture for the Agent Economy
1. Core Philosophy
The 402zk economic model is architected to solve a dual challenge: how to enable billions of near-zero-cost microtransactions while simultaneously building a sustainable revenue model and a powerful value accrual mechanism.
Our solution is the Dual Resource Model. Network actions are abstracted into two distinct, ownable resources designed for two separate use cases:
Verification Bandwidth: The resource for Public x402 transactions.
Privacy Energy: The premium resource for Private x402 transactions requiring ZK-SNARK computation.
2. Protocol Resource Architecture
2.1. Verification Bandwidth: The Adoption Engine
Purpose: Designed for public x402 transactions. The protocol provides a free base-level of Bandwidth to all actors, completely removing the cost barrier for microtransactions.
Mechanism: When depleted, Staking $402ZK is required to regenerate Bandwidth. This mechanism serves as both a mass adoption driver and an effective anti-spam rail.
2.2. Privacy Energy: The Privacy Engine
Purpose: Designed for private x402 transactions that require complex ZK-SNARK computation. This is a premium resource.
Dual Mechanism: Economic actors (users, AI Agents) have two options to acquire Energy:
Stake-for-Service (The Optimal Model): Optimized for AI Agents and Power Users. By Staking $402ZK, actors generate a stable stream of Privacy Energy. This allows them to execute private operations at zero marginal cost—a critical factor for high-frequency automated systems.
Pay-as-you-go (The Flexible Model): For infrequent interactions. If an actor has no Energy, they can pay a "Privacy Fee" directly to the protocol. This fee is dynamically governed by the DAO.
3. The Value Accrual Flywheel
This model creates a self-sustaining positive feedback loop, directly linking the protocol's commercial success to the value of $402ZK.
3.1. Sustainable Revenue Streams
Unlike inflation-based protocols, 402zk's revenue is generated from real economic activity and collected in Stablecoins (USDC, USAD) to ensure Treasury stability.
Privacy Fees: From "Pay-as-you-go" transactions.
GaaS (Gateway-as-a-Service) Fees: SaaS revenue from enterprises using our "Managed Verifier Gateway" platform. (GaaS is an enterprise service scheduled for Beta launch in Q3/2026, as outlined in the Roadmap. Revenue from this stream will be recognized from that point forward.)
3.2. Value Accrual Mechanism
This mechanism is designed to exert permanent deflationary pressure on $402ZK.
Step 1: Collect: 100% of all Stablecoin revenue is routed to the 402zk DAO Treasury.
Step 2: Buyback & Burn: On a quarterly basis, the DAO Treasury will utilize the full revenue to Buyback $402ZK from the open market and Burn it permanently. (The Buyback & Burn mechanism is scheduled for its first activation at the end of Q4/2026, after Protocol v1.1 is operational and the Treasury has accrued revenue from fee sources.)
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