Legal & Compliance

Terms of Protocol & Service

Last Updated: August 2026 · Protocol Version 1.0
NON-CUSTODIAL PROTOCOL NOTICE: Subcent402 is an open software protocol and routing framework. Subcent402 does not act as a money transmitter, custodian, or financial depository. Cryptographic token signatures, Base USDC transfers, and Bitcoin Lightning payments execute peer-to-peer (P2P) between autonomous clients and tool provider endpoints.

1. Protocol Software License & Scope

Subcent402 provides open-source libraries (@subcent402/*, subcent402 Python package) and edge routing gateway services enabling machine-to-machine micropayments and Model Context Protocol (MCP) tool access. By installing, linking, or interacting with Subcent402 code or gateway nodes, you agree to these Terms.

2. Autonomous Agent Autonomy & Spending Limits

Developers and organizations deploying AI agents equipped with Subcent402 client libraries remain solely responsible for the budgetary constraints, actions, and tool invocations initiated by their autonomous software.

  • BudgetGuard Configuration: You are strongly advised to enforce hard daily spend caps and per-call spending ceilings via BudgetGuard.
  • Non-Repudiation: Cryptographic HMAC-SHA256 preimages and signed L402 tokens delivered across the wire constitute definitive proof of authorized execution.

3. Tool Publisher Responsibilities & Warranties

Publishers listing MCP tools in the Subcent402 Global Directory warrant that their services comply with all applicable software security, data privacy, and intellectual property laws. Providers must maintain reasonable uptime and deliver valid payloads upon cryptographic proof of settlement.

4. Fees & Settlement Rails

Self-hosted open protocol interactions incur zero platform licensing fees. Routing transactions through the Subcent402 Global Edge Gateway incurs a published protocol routing fee (1.5% standard, 1.0% Pro) to cover edge compute, preimage verification, and high-frequency settlement aggregation.

5. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, Subcent402 and its contributors shall not be liable for indirect, incidental, or consequential damages, loss of profits, or unauthorized agent actions resulting from software bugs, network latency, or blockchain consensus reorganizations.