The reasoning behind crypto in this project?

[mosq-1to]

Hi 👋 What is the reasoning behind moving from providers & models configuration architecture delivereed out-of-the-box with every OpenClaw installation and relying on a USDC spending router? Most of the time I have my own tierlist for models predefined and configured. Why don't you just allow to set the tierlist to be used respectively without any additional USDC funding etc.?
I'm most probably missing something but I would appreciate clarifying it to me.
Thanks!

[TomLucidor]

Ideally something like this is supported by OpenRouter + USD/CC + occasional self-host/on-site instead of sticking to only one single crypto chain (repo originally from crypto hackathons BTW).

[1bcMax]

Hey @mosq-1to, great question — happy to clarify!

ClawRouter does not replace your tier list; it is a routing layer on top of one.

The short answer: the USDC wallet is not the point — it is just the payment mechanism that makes the real feature possible: zero API keys across 30+ providers.

Here is the mental model:

Approach	API Keys	Billing	Routing
Traditional (per-provider)	1 per provider	Multiple subscriptions	Manual
ClawRouter	None	One USDC wallet, pay-per-request	Automatic (local, <1ms)

Why USDC/x402 specifically?

The payment protocol (x402) is what enables agents to pay for API calls autonomously — no human in the loop to swipe a credit card. That is the core use case we are optimizing for: agentic workflows where a Claude Code session (or any AI agent) spins up sub-agents, each making model calls, each paying micro-amounts per request without you pre-funding N API accounts.

But I already have my own tier list!

Totally valid — if you have existing API keys and a working config, ClawRouter is additive, not a replacement. You can:

• Still call specific models directly: blockrun/openai/gpt-4o, blockrun/anthropic/claude-sonnet-4, etc.
• Use /model eco / /model premium etc. as coarse routing profiles
• Or keep your existing key-based setup and only use ClawRouter for providers you do not want to manage separately

Custom tier list configuration (user-defined scoring weights) is on our roadmap — you are not wrong that it is missing. The current 4 profiles (auto/eco/premium/free) are the MVP. If this is important to you, would love to hear your specific use case — it would help us prioritize.

TL;DR: USDC is just how payment works under the hood. The actual value prop is unified multi-provider access + autonomous agent payments without credential management overhead. If you are already happy with your setup, no pressure to switch — but if you ever run agentic workflows at scale, this is where it shines.

[1bcMax]

To add to this — the deeper vision here is bigger than just routing:

Every agent gets its own wallet.

Not just "an AI that can spend money" — but an agent that can earn USDC too. Think of it like this:

• An agent completes a task → gets paid in USDC to its wallet
• That same agent calls sub-agents, tools, or APIs → pays from its wallet
• No human needs to be in the loop at any point

This is what x402 unlocks that traditional API key setups cannot: economic agency. An agent bootstrapped with $1 can autonomously operate, hire specialized sub-agents, and pay for compute — all without a credit card or a human approving each transaction.

ClawRouter is the spending side of that loop. The paying-agents side is where this gets really interesting. We are building toward a world where agents are first-class economic participants, not just tools you run on behalf of a human account.

That is why crypto/USDC — not because we are maximalists, but because it is the only payment rail that lets a piece of software hold money, earn money, and spend money autonomously without a human identity attached.